1 NOUNS & ADJECTIVES

2-syllable nouns and adjectives: stress the 1st syllable

Nouns: Adjectives:
Campus Happy
County Pretty
Maker Mobile
Picture Local
Water Royal
Entry

2 VERBS
2-syllable verbs: stress the 2nd syllable

Repeat
Collect
Forgive
Allow
Prefer
Impose

3 NOUNS - VERBS

NOUN: stre ss the 1st syllable VERB: stre ss the 2nd syllable

Record Record
Import Import
Produce Produce
Rebel Rebel
Conflict Conflict
Research Research

Exceptions:
Respect Question

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4 SUFFIXES -IC / -SION / -TION
Stress the syllable before IC / SION / TION

-IC /ɪk/ -TION /ʃn/ -SION /ʒn/

Traffic Induction Conclusion
Static Creation Revision
Athletics Expectation Conversion
Enthusiastic Objection Provision
Electric Distinction Vision

5 SUFFIXES -CY / -PHY / -TY / -GY / -ATE / -AL / -ISE

Stress the third to the last syllable

-CY /si/ -TY /ti/ -ATE /eɪt/ or /ət/

Democracy Productivity Eliminate
Pregnancy Diversity Integrate

-PHY /fi/ -GY /dʒi/ -AL /əl/

Cinematography Biology Economical
Photography Analogy Mathematical

-ISE /aɪz/
Realise
Analyse
NEVER STRESS SUFFIXES! Except...

-ESE -EE -EER

Japanese Employee Engineer

6 COMPOUND NOUNS
Stress the first word

Smartphone Swimming pool

Bluebird Apple tree

Greenhouse Software

Bedroom Haircut

Motorcycle Handshake

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7 ADJECTIVE + NOUN

Stress the NOUN

A blue bird Nice person

A kind boy Fast runner
A great game Delicious soup
A fast car Blue eyes
A new sofa Spanish song

8 PHRASAL VERBS
Stress the second word

Put up Put up with

Get on Cut down on
Come back Look forward to
Look out Keep up with

! 10 MOST COMMON MISTAKES

Hotel (Exception to Rule 1) Control (Exception to Rule 3.

Guitar (Exception to Rule 1) Always control whether verb or

Exam (Exception to Rule 1) noun)

Afternoon Understand (Never stress the

Catholic (Follows Rule 4. Silent O, pre-fix ‘Under’)

so the syllable before IC is the Interesting

first syllable) Development

Realise

Tak e t h e
test!
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9 TEST!

Choose the stressed syllable:

1. University 11. Critical

2. Explanation 12. Come up with

3. Adequate 13. Interesting

4. A bright star 14. Notebook

5. Tennis 15. Impact (noun)

6. Address (verb) 16. Publish

7. Election 17. Increase (verb)

8. Calm down 18. Cute dog

9. Classmate 19. Conspiracy

10. Research (noun) 20. Refugee

10 ANSWERS

16. Publish 17. Increase 18. Cute dog 19. Conspiracy 20. Refugee
11. Critical 12. Come up with 13. Interesting 14. Notebook 15. Impact
6. Address 7. Election 8. Calm down 9. Classmate 10. Research
5. Tennis 3. Adequate 4. A bright star 2. Explanation 1. University

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