STRESS RULES ON

TWO-SYLLABLE
WORD
Group 2

Phạm Thị Hiền

Trần Thị Minh Ngọc
Dương Thị Phương Thảo
Đoàn Thị Anh Thư
Đặng Tuyết Trinh
TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. REVIEW: CHARACTERISTICS OF SYLLABLES.

II. STRESS RULES ON TWO-SYLLABLE WORD.

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 REVIEW
CHARACTERISTICS OF SYLLABLES

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 REVIEW
Characteristics of strong syllables:
• is stressed
• the peak of a strong syllable is:
• never /i/, /ə/, /u/
• usually a long vowel, a
diphthong, a triphthong
• a short vowel followed by a
coda

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 REVIEW
Characteristics of weak syllables:
- Not stressed
- Be shorter, less effort to speak
- If appearing at the end of the word:
• a weak syllable contains a vowel (/i/, /u/)
• without a coda, or vowel /ə/ with or without a coda
- If appearing inside the word: a weak syllable contains either: 
• a vowel (/ə/ /i/, /u/) without a coda
• a vowel /ɪ/ without coda if the following syllable starts with a
consonant.

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 GAME
To understand deeply, we will practice via a funny game with topic Strong/Weak syllables.

Link game: https://quizizz.com/join/quiz/5e871107c073fc001c5371ef/start?studentShare=true

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QUESTION 1
KEY:
NUMBER 2 – a diphthong

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QUESTION 2
KEY:
NUMBER 2 – /ɑ:/

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 QUESTION 3
KEY:
NUMBER 3 – /ri-ækt/

- Number 1: /fɑːðər/
- Number 2: /treʒər/
- Number 4: /beɪbi/

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QUESTION 4
KEY:
NUMBER 1 –  /leɪzi/

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QUESTION 5
KEY:
NUMBER 3 – coda

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 STRESS RULES
ON TWO-SYLLABLE WORD

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Stress rules in high schools

• For most nouns and adjectives with two syllables, the stress is
on the first syllable.
• For most verbs with two syllables, the stress is on the second
syllable.

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Stress rules on two-syllable simple verbs
• If the final syllable is weak, then the first syllable is stressed.
Examples:
carry /ˈkæri/                                          copy /ˈkɒpi/
answer /ˈɑːn.sər/                                 travel /ˈtræv.əl/

• A final syllable is also unstressed if it contains /əʊ/: swallow /ˈswɒləʊ/, follow /ˈfɒləʊ/

• If the final syllable is strong, then that syllable is stressed even if the first syllable is also
strong.
Examples:
decide /dɪˈsaɪd/                                        predict /prɪˈdɪkt/
maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/                              digest /daɪˈdʒest/

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Stress rules on simple two-syllable adjectives
• Similar rules also apply to simple two-syllable adjectives
Examples:
proper /ˈprɒpə/                                      correct /kəˈrekt/
hollow /ˈhɒləʊ/                                       divine /dɪˈvaɪn/

• Exceptions: 
Examples:
honest /ˈɒnɪst/ perfect /ˈpɜːfɪkt/

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Stress rules on Nouns
Nouns require a different rule: stress will fall on the first syllable unless the first
syllable is weak and the second syllable is strong.
Examples:
lesson /ˈlesn/                                  success /səkˈses/                  
index /ˈɪndeks/                               complaint /kəmˈpleɪnt/

Other two-syllable words such as adverbs seem to behave like verbs and adjectives.

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 SUMMARY

Types of two-syllable words Rules of stress

Verbs, adjectives, and others - Stress is on the final syllable

unless it is weak or contains /əʊ/.
-> Look at the final syllable.

Nouns - Stress is on the first syllable unless

it is weak.
-> Look at the first syllable.

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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
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