Скачать или смотреть Word Stress Rules That Might Surprise You!

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Are there rules for word stress in english pronunciation? Not really! English pronunciation can be tricky because of its mixed origins, so there aren't definite english word stress rules, but it's still important to improve your english pronunciation and speak english well. Listen to how native speakers pronounce words and focus on the syllables.

I often recommend thinking about it less in terms of strict "rules" and more in terms of general "patterns" that have exceptions - as you'll see in this lesson!

1. Two-Syllable Nouns & Adjectives:

Most two-syllable nouns and adjectives are stressed on the first syllable:

TA - ble

DOC - tor

HAP - py

CLE - ver

YEL - low

However, there are many exceptions!

gui - TAR

ho - TEL

bal - LOON

cor - RECT

u - NIQUE

2. Two-Syllable Verbs:

Most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable:

re - LAX

ar - RIVE

be - GIN

ex - PLAIN

de - CIDE

However, there are many exceptions!

AN - swer

STU - dy

O - pen

VIS - it

HAP - pen

2. Words with Stress Patterns from Suffixes

Some endings (suffixes) have predictable stress rules. Here are the most common ones:

-tion / -sion / -cian → stress the syllable before the suffix:

creAtion, deciSION, muSIcian, elecTRIcian

-ic / -ical → stress the syllable before the suffix:

geoGRAPHic, ecoNOMic, draMATical

-ity / -ety → stress moves to the syllable before -ity:

eLECtricity, posSIbility, soCIety

-graphy / -logy / -nomy → stress the syllable two before the ending:

phoTOgraphy, biOLogy, eCONomy

-ee → stress falls directly on the suffix:

employEE, refuGEE, traiNEE

-eer → stress falls directly on the suffix:

engiNEER, volunTEER, mountaineer

-oon → stress falls directly on the suffix:

balLOON, carTOON, salOON

-esque → stress falls directly on the suffix:

groTESQUE, picturESQUE

3. Nouns and Verbs that Shift Stress

Some English words change meaning depending on which syllable is stressed:

REcord (noun) → I bought a new REcord.

reCORD (verb) → Please reCORD the meeting.

PREsent (noun/adjective) → I got a PREsent for my birthday. / All members are PREsent.

preSENT (verb) → She will preSENT the report tomorrow.

CONtract (noun) → We signed the CONtract.

conTRACT (verb) → Muscles conTRACT when you exercise.

PROduce (noun) → The store sells fresh PROduce.

proDUCE (verb) → They proDUCE cars in that factory.

OBject (noun) → That OBject looks heavy.

obJECT (verb) → I obJECT to your comment.

👉 In general: nouns/adjectives often stress the first syllable, while the related verbs stress the second syllable.

4. Quick Tips for Learners

Use an online audo dictionary to listen to the correct word stress

Practice by listening and repeating native audio.

Remember: stress can change both pronunciation and meaning!

✅ Quick Summary

Two-syllable nouns/adjectives → usually first-syllable stress.

Two-syllable verbs → usually second-syllable stress (with exceptions).

Suffixes like -tion, -ic, -ity, -ee, -eer, -oon, -esque have predictable stress rules.

Some words shift meaning with stress: REcord vs. reCORD.

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