Rules of Word Stress in English

There are two rules about word stress:

1. One word has only one stress. One word cannot have two stresses. If
you hear two stresses, you hear two words. Two stresses cannot be one
word. There can be a secondary stress in some words but a secondary
stress is much softer than the main or primary stress and is only used in
long words.

2. Stress can only be on vowels not consonants.

Below are additional, more complicated rules of word stress in English to

help you understand where to put the stress. However, as there are many
exceptions to the rule it is better to try to “feel” the rhythm of the language
and add the stress naturally.

1. Stress on first syllable

Rule Example
Most 2‐syllable nouns PRESent, EXport, CHIna, TAble
Most 2‐syllable adjectives PRESent, SLENder, CLEVer, HAPpy

2. Stress on last syllable

Rule Example
Most 2‐syllable verbs To preSENT, to exPORT, to deCIDE, to
beGIN

3. Stress on the penultimate syllable (or second from the end)

Rule Example
Words ending in ‐ic GRAPHic, geoGRAPHic, geoLOGIC
Words ending in –sion and ‐tion teleVIsion, reveLAtion

Business Communication
© Optima Training (UK) Limited
 4. Stress on the syllable third‐from‐the‐ end

Rule Example
Words ending in –cy, ‐ty, ‐phy and ‐gy deMOcracy, dependaBIlity,
phoTOgraphy, geOlogy
Words ending in ‐al CRItical, geoLOGical

5. Compound words (words with 2 parts)

Rule Example
For compound nouns, the stress is on BLACKbird, GREENhouse
the first part
For compound adjectives, the stress is Bad‐TEMpered, old‐FASHioned
on the second part
For compound verbs, the stress is on To underSTAND, to overFLOW
the second part

Note:

There are many two syllable words in English whose meaning changes with a
change of stress. For example, the word present. If we stress the first syllable,
PREsent, it is a noun (gift) or an adjective (opposite of absent) but if we stress
the second syllable, preSENT, it becomes a verb (to offer). More examples of
words like this include export, import, contract and object.

For some words, native English speakers don’t always agree on where to put
the stress. For example, some people say teleVIsion and some people say
TELevision. Another example is CONtroversy and conTROversy.

Business Communication
© Optima Training (UK) Limited