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List of Suffixes and their Influence on Word Stress

Contents
Suffixes that will attract the stress on the Last Syllable /-1/..............................................................................................................................................1
Suffixes that will attract the stress to the syllable just before the last one /-10/.................................................................................................................2
Suffixes that will attract the stress to the syllable on the third last /-100/..........................................................................................................................3
Suffixes that do not affect stress patterns...........................................................................................................................................................................4

Suffixes that will attract the stress on the Last Syllable /-1/
 the last syllable is always stressed (except for the exceptions)

Suffix -ade -aire -ee -eer -ese -ette -oo -que -sce -oon
Examples arcADE astAIRE absentEE mountainEER BurmESE cigarETTE bambOO antIQUE acquiESCE afterNOON
balusTRADE doctrinAIRE addressEE auctionEER ChinESE cassETTE kangarOO arabESQUE convalESCE balLOON
blockADE legionnAIRE adoptEE commandEER JapanESE silhouETTE shampOO burlESQUE reminISCE carTOON
brigADE millionAIRE advisEE enginEER JournalESE gazETTE tattOO opAQUE saLOON
cascADE questionnAIRE referEE marketEER LebanESE etiquETTE grotESQUE laGOON
crusADE solitAIRE refugEE voluntEER
PortuguESE brunETTE picturESQUE coCOON
parADE
serenADE VietnamESE roulETTE romanESQUE monSOON
kitchnETTE unIQUE tyPHOON

Exceptions Accolade comMIttee REINdeer MANganese Omelette Igloo

DEcade COffee PAlette
MARmalade TOffee
REnegade YANkee
JUbilee
PEdigree

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Suffixes that will attract the stress to the syllable just before the last one /-10/
 the syllable before the last one is always stressed (except for the exceptions)
Suffix -ia -ial -ible -ic(s) -ian -ient -ious -ish
Examples MEdia vicTOria SOcial POSsible characteRIStics poliTIcian PATient VArious ENglish
criTEria maTErial resPONsible staTISTics muSIcian sufFIcient SErious esTAblish
multiMEdia SPEcial imPOSsible ecoNOmics phySIcian efFIcient PREvious FInish PUBlish
deMENtia ofFIcial TERRible CRItics techNIcian ANcient Obvious PArish
bacTEria potENtial VISible GRAphics mathemaTIcian inGREdient reLIgious disTINguish
miLItia SENsible matheMAtics elecTRIcian conVEnient Curious RUBbish
esSENtial
nosTALgia FLExible PHYsics maGIcian reCIpient CONScious POlish aBOlish
resiDENtial cliNIcian insufFIcient
leuKAEmia HORrible rePUblic TOpic Anxious diMInish
presiDENtial statisTIcian GRAdient VAnish
schizoPHREnia acCESsible elecTROnics PREcious
influENtial paTRIcian coefFIcient FLOUrish
pneuMOnia inVIsible meCHAnics amBItious
diffeRENtial opTIcian NUtrient PUnish
confiDENtial eLIgible susPIcious
obsteTRIcian Orient acCOMplish
seQUENtial inCREdible unCONScious
theoreTIcian imPAtient FURnish
prefeRENtial comPAtible Furious
outPAtient
expoNENtial PLAUsible mysTErious
inconVEnient
FEAsible
susCEPtible
conVERtible
Exceptions Eligible, POlitics, Arabic,
Egligible, CAtholic,LUnatic
inCOrrigible, RHEtoric,
inTElligible

Suffix -osis -sion -tion

Examples diagNOsis deCIsion informAtion
fiBROsis comMIssion educAtion
tubercuLOsis proVIsion situAtion
progNOsis diVIsion populAtion
hypNOsis teleVIsion applicAtion
osMOsis disCUssion operAtion
VERsion associAtion
ocCAsion organizAtion
conCLUsion legislAtion
SESsion administrAtion
exPRESsion conversAtion

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imPRESsion
PENSion

Suffixes that will attract the stress to the syllable on the third last /-100/
 the thirds syllable counting from the end of the word is always stressed (except for the exceptions)
Suffix -ate -cy -eous1 -ical -ify -inal -itive -ity
Examples (for words of 3 or Policy Agency sponTANeous poLItical iDENtify oRIginal POsitive comMUnity
more syllables) deMOcracy ouTRAGeous PHYsical JUSTify CRIminal comPEtitive auTHOrity
INdicate eMERgency simulTAneous MEdical SPEcify TERminal SENsitive uniVERsity
Operate SEparate CURrency GORGeous PRActical QUAlify MARginal PRImitive QUAlity
apPROpriate efFIciency homoGEneous CHEmical MOdify CARdinal inFInitive acTIvity
CANdidate TENdency TEChnical CLARify NOminal COGnitive seCUrity
advanTAgeous
EStimate FREquency CRItical inTEStinal deFInitive opporTUnity
couRAgeous CLASsify
asSOciate PREgnancy hisTOrical abDOminal rePEtitive responsiBIlity
HIDeous NOTify
CONcentrate acCUracy RAdical gastroinTEStinal inTUitive maJORity
DEmonstrate heteroGEneous SIGnify FUGitive
reDUNdancy TYpical meDIcinal aBIlity
inVEStigate COURTeous SIMPlify ADditive
buREAUcracy CLASsical inTENsify longiTUdinal possiBIlity
GEnerate miscelLAneous VAginal PUnitive reAlity
consPIracy MUsical TESTify
ILlustrate instanTAneous aboRIginal inSENsitive capAcity
apPREciate LEgacy theoREtical VErify
RIGHTeous SEminal inQUIsitive
CLInical
eLECtrical Urinal TRANsitive

Exceptions PREsidency
consTItuency

Suffix -ize -phy -ogy

Examples REalize geOgraphy techNOlogy
REcognize phiLOsophy STRAtegy
ORganize biOgraphy psyCHOlogy
EMphasize phoTOgraphy ideOlogy
CRIticize bibliOgraphy sociOlogy
chaRACterize autobiOgraphy theOlogy
SUMmarize porNOgraphy biOlogy
MInimize toPOgraphy methoDOlogy
aPOlogize
ethNOgraphy aNAlogy
AUthorize
SPEcialize calLIgraphy aPOlogy
MAximize choreOgraphy termiNOlogy
icoNOgraphy geOlogy
1 -eous can be pronounced in 2 syllables [i.əs] as in spontaneous or in 1 syllable [əs] as in outrageous. The stress always falls on the syllable before -eous.
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MOdernize chromaTOgraphy anthroPOlogy
PRIvatize tyPOgraphy
Exceptions
Suffixes that do not affect stress patterns
The following suffixes do not influence the placement of the word stress: -al
-ally
-ess
-ful
-ish
-less
-ly
-hood
-ship

Suffix -al -ally -ess -less -hood

Examples PERson  PERsonal ACtual  ACtually aWARE  aWAREness reGARD  reGARDless BROther  BROtherhood
fiNANce  fiNANcial eVENT  eVENTually HAppy  HAppiness MEAning  MEAningless LIkely  LIkelyhood

Similarly, grammatical suffixes (-ed, -s, -es, -ing, -en, -est, ) do not influence the placement of the word stress.

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