Learn These 4 Word Stress Rules to Improve Your Pronunciation

To communicate clearly when you are speaking in English, it’s important to stress the correct syllables in each word.
This is called word stress, which means pronouncing one syllable of a multisyllabic word with greater emphasis (stress)
than the other syllables in the word. Here are four general rules to keep in mind about word stress as you practice
pronunciation:

1. Stress the first syllable of:

o Most two-syllable nouns (examples: CLImate, KNOWledge)

o Most two-syllable adjectives (examples: FLIPpant, SPAcious)

2. Stress the last syllable of:

o Most two-syllable verbs (examples: reQUIRE, deCIDE)

3. Stress the second-to-last syllable of:

o Words that end in -ic (examples: ecSTATic, geoGRAPHic)

o Words ending in -sion and -tion (examples: exTENsion, retriBUtion)

4. Stress the third-from-last syllable of:

o Words that end in -cy, -ty, -phy and -gy (examples: deMOCracy, unCERtainty, geOGraphy, radiOLogy)

o Words that end in -al (examples: exCEPtional, CRItical)

Keep these simple rules in mind and you will soon find your pronunciation getting better and better!

Levels of Stress

Syllables in English words don't all have the same level of loudness. Some are loud, some are short and quiet, some are
in between. English has three levels of stress:

 primary stress: the loudest syllable in the word. In one-syllable words, that one syllable has the primary stress
(except for a handful of short function words like the, which might not have any stress at all). Primary stress is marked
in IPA by putting a raised vertical line [ˈ] at the beginning of the syllable.
 secondary stress: syllables which aren't completely unstressed, but aren't as loud as the primary stress. Secondary
stress is marked with a lowered vertical line [ˌ] at the beginning of the syllable.

 unstressed syllables: syllables that have no stress at all. In English, almost all of these have schwa [ə] for their
vowel, though [i] will also often be unstressed, like the [i] in happy [ˈhæpi]. (Very rarely, another non-schwa vowel
might be unstressed, like the [o] of potato [pəˈteto] for most speakers.)

Examples:
[əˈnʌf]     enough

[ˌmænəˈtobə]     Manitoba

[ˈfotəˌɡɹæf]     photograph

A good example of the difference between secondary stress and the complete absence of stress is the final syllable
of delegate, used as a verb and used as a noun.
 [ˈdɛləˌɡet]     verb: You have to delegate your responsibilities

[ˈdɛləɡət]     noun: We elected a delegate to the national committee.

 Here you are some rules with examples of word stress

Rule 1. STRESS THE AFFIX

1. refugee / rɛfjuˈʤi /
2. evacuee / ɪvækjuˈi /
3. mountaineer /ˌmaʊntɪˈnɪr /
4. volunteer /ˌvɑlənˈtɪr /
5. Portuguese /ˌpɔrʧəˈgiz /
6. journalese /ˌʤɜrnəˈliz /
7. cigarette /ˌsɪgəˈrɛt /
8. launderette /ˌlɔːndəˈrɛt /
9. picturesque /ˌpɪktʃəˈrɛsk

RULE 2. THE STRESS CHANGES POSITION

1. advantageous /ˌædvənˈteɪdʒəs/
2. photography / fəˈtɒgrəfi /
3. proverbial / prəˈv3ːrbiəl /
4. climatic / klaɪˈmætɪk /
5. perfection / pərˈfɛkʃən /
6. injurious /ɪndˈʒʊəriəs /
7. tranquility / træŋˈkwɪlɪtɪ /
8. reflexive / rɪˈflɛksɪv/

RULE 3. STRESS DOESN’T CHANGE

1. comfortable / ˈkʌmfərtəbəl /
2. anchorage / ˈæŋkərɪdʒ /
3. refusal / rɪˈfjuːzəl / (stem: v)
4. widen / ˈwaɪdən /
5. wonderful / ˈwʌndərfʊl /
6. amazing / əˈmeɪzɪŋ /
7. birdlike /ˈbɜːdlaɪk /
8. powerless /ˈpaʊərləs /
9. hurriedly / ˈhʌridli /
10. punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ (stem: n)
11. yellowness / ˈjeləʊnɪs /
12. poisonous / ˈpɔɪzənəs /
13. glorify / ˈglɔːrɪfaɪ /
14. otherwise / ˈʌðərwaɪz /
15. funny / ˈfʌni / (stem: adj. or n)
16. devilish /ˈdɛvəlɪʃ /
Learn These 4 Word Stress Rules to Improve Your Pronunciation. Retrieve on April 26 2021 from:
https://www.toeflgoanywhere.org/learn-these-4-word-stress-rules-improve-
your- pronunciation#:~:text=To%20communicate%20clearly%20when
%20you,other%20syllables%20in%20the%20word

Intonation, stressed and unstressed syllables. Retrieved on April

27 2021 from
https://magoosh.com/english-speaking/english-intonation-stressed-and-unstressed-
syllables/#:~:text=A%20stressed%20syllable%20is%20the,%3B%20instead%2C
%20you%20use%20pitch