Word stress

**Word stress** is the specific stressed syllable in the pronunciation of a particular word.

A great number of words in English only have one syllable (for example *go, eat, wait, eight, house, prince, friends, thieves, straight*, etc.). In these cases the stress can only be located in that syllable.

In longer words the stress can lie in any syllable:

* First syllable: **doc**tor; **hand**icap; **tes**timony; **cap**italism;
* Second syllable: a**lone**; im**por**tant; com**pa**rison; so**phis**ticated;
* Third syllable: under**stand**; contro**ver**sial; uni**ver**sity;
* Fourth syllable: configu**ra**tion; experi**men**tal; responsi**bil**ity

While on the subject, as in all aspects of language, a constantly-evolving mode of communication among human beings, the stress on words can also shift over time.

## IPA symbol

**IPA consonants**

In IPA the primary stress is marked with a small raised vertical line preceding the stressed syllable: **doc**tor /ˈdɒktər/, ho**tel** /həʊˈtel/, ex**per**ience /ɪkˈspɪərɪəns/, pro**fes**sional /prəˈfeʃənəl/.

## Secondary stress

Long words may have an extra stress, the second most stressed syllable in the word.

The secondary stress is marked with a small lowered vertical line preceding the stressed syllable: information /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/, understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/, represent /ˌreprɪˈzent/.

Words with secondary stress are pronounced as if they were two different words, and one of them has the primary stress: infor-mation, under-stand, repre-sent. If a word has two secondary stresses it is pronounced as three small words: onomatopoeia /ˌɒnəˌmætəˈpiːə/ ono-mato-poeia; heterosexuality /ˌhetərəˌsekʃuːˈælətiː/ hetero-sexu-ality.

## Some general rules

### Nouns, etc.

What is said here about nouns is also valid for other parts of speech, except verbs.

#### Two syllables

* Two-syllable nouns often, but not always, have the stress on the first syllable:

Nouns: **cof**fee - **coun**try - **ef**fort - **en**gine - **ex**it - **ex**pert - **ex**port - **in**crease - **lev**el - **mor**ning - **num**ber - **peo**ple - **pep**per - **prob**lem - **re**cord - **res**cue - **se**cond - **sen**tence - **sys**tem - **wa**ter
Other parts of speech: **af**ter - **an**y - **cen**tral - **lit**tle - **man**y - **men**tal - **on**ly - **oth**er - **o**ver - **some**thing - **ver**y
Exceptions:

Nouns: a**ˈmount** - at**ˈtack** - at**ˈtempt** - ca**ˈnal** - con**ˈtrol** - de**ˈfence** - de**ˈmand** - di**ˈsease** - e**ˈclipse** - ef**ˈfect** - ex**ˈcept** - ex**ˈtinct** - ho**ˈtel** - Ju**ˈly** - ma**ˈchine** - po**ˈlice** - re**ˈceipt** - re**ˈply** - re**ˈport** - re**ˈsearch** - re**ˈsult** - suc**ˈcess** - sup**ˈport**
Other parts of speech: a**ˈbove** - a**ˈbout** - a**ˈgain** - a**ˈgainst** - a**ˈhead** - a**ˈlone** - al**ˈthough** - a**ˈmong** - a**ˈround** - a**ˈware** - a**ˈway** - be**ˈcause** - be**ˈfore** - be**ˈhind** - be**ˈlow** - be**ˈtween** - e**ˈnough** - per**ˈhaps** - to**ˈday** - un**ˈtil** - u**ˈpon** - with**ˈin** - with**ˈout**
#### Three syllables

* Stress in the first syllable

**ˈan**imal - **ˈben**efit - **ˈcom**pany - **ˈde**finite - **ˈex**erˌcise - **ˈfam**ily - **ˈgen**eral - **ˈgen**tlemen - **ˈgov**ernment - **ˈhand**icap - **ˈpres**ident - **ˈrec**ipe - **ˈsec**retary*BrE* - **ˈyes**terday
* Stress in the second syllable:

a**ˈnoth**er - be**ˈhav**ior - com**ˈpo**ser - De**ˈcem**ber - de**ˈpar**ture - de**ˈtec**tive - e**ˈmo**tion - e**ˈxam**ple - ex**ˈpen**sive - go**ˈril**la - im**ˈpor**tant - re**ˈmain**der
* Stress in the third syllable:

ˌafter**ˈnoon** - ˌany**ˈmore** - ˌengi**ˈneer** - ˌguaran**ˈtee** - ˌover**ˈseas** - ˌrefu**ˈgee** - ˌseven**ˈteen** - ˌvolun**ˈteer**
#### Four or more syllables

* Stress in the first syllable

**ˈac**tually - **ˈmil**iˌtary*AmE* - **ˈnec**essary - **ˈˈsec**reˌtary*AmE* - **ˈtel**evision
* Stress in the second syllable:

ac**ˈtiv**ity - ex**ˈper**ience - de**ˈvel**opment - po**ˈlit**ical - se**ˈcur**ity
* In nouns ending -isation or -ization, we stress the /eɪ/:

**ˈciv**iˌlize – ˌcivili**ˈza**tion; **ˈim**proˌvise – improvi**ˈsa**tion; **or**gaˌnize – organi**ˈza**tion; **pri**vaˌtize – privati**ˈza**tion;
* Stress in the third syllable:

ˌcate**ˈgor**ical - ˌcontro**ˈver**sial - ˌenter**ˈtain**ment - ˌindis**ˈtin**guishable - ˌinfor**ˈma**tion - ˌinter**ˈmit**tent - ˌrepro**ˈdu**cible - ˌuni**ˈver**sity
* Stress in the fourth syllable:

ˌcharacte**ˈris**tic - conˌfigu**ˈra**tion - ˌetymo**ˈlog**ical - exˌperi**ˈmen**tal - reˌsponsi**ˈbil**ity
### Verbs

#### Two syllables

* verbs with two syllables often, but not always, have the stress on the second:

a**ˈgree** - ap**ˈply** - ar**ˈrive** - be**ˈcome** - be**ˈgin** - be**ˈlieve** - com**ˈpare** - com**ˈplain** - com**ˈply** - de**ˈcide** - de**ˈclare** - de**ˈfy** - de**ˈpend** - dis**ˈcuss** - en**ˈjoy** - ex**ˈplain** - ex**ˈport** - for**ˈget** - im**ˈprove** - in**ˈclude** - in**ˈcrease** - in**ˈvite** - pre**ˈpare** - pre**ˈtend** - pre**ˈvent** - pro**ˈvide** - re**ˈceive** - re**ˈcord** - re**ˈfer** - re**ˈfuse** - re**ˈgret** - re**ˈmain** - re**ˈpeat** - re**ˈply** - re**ˈport** - re**ˈspect** - re**ˈsult** - re**ˈturn** - re**ˈveal** - re**ˈwind** - sug**ˈgest**
Exceptions: **an**swer - **ar**gue - **can**cel - **cen**ter*AmE*/**cen**tre*BrE* - **col**or*AmE*/**col**our*BrE* - **dif**fer - **ed**it - **en**ter - **ex**it - **fig**ure - **fol**low - **hap**pen - **is**sue - **lev**el - **li**mit - **mat**ter - **mar**ket - **of**fer - **o**pen - **or**der - **ques**tion - **rea**son - **si**lence - **stud**y - **val**ue - **vi**sit

#### Three syllables

* Stress in the first syllable

**ben**efit - **ev**idence - **dom**inate - **ed**ucate - **hes**itate - **in**dicate - **in**fluence - **mul**tiply
Many verbs ending in "-ise*BrE*/-ize": **civ**ilise/**civ**ilize - **or**ganise/**or**ganize - **re**alise/**re**alize - **rec**ognise/**rec**ognize
* Stress in the second syllable

con**ˈtin**ue - con**ˈsid**er - de**ˈvel**op - re**ˈcov**er - re**ˈmem**ber
* Stress in the third syllable

decom**ˈpose** - recom**ˈmend** - under**ˈstand**
#### Four or more syllables

* Stress in the second syllable

ap**ˈpre**ciate - ap**ˈpro**priate - as**ˈso**ciate - co**ˈmu**nicate - ex**ˈper**iment - i**ˈden**tify - ex**ˈper**ience - e**ˈval**uate
Some verbs ending in "-ise*BrE*/-ize": com**ˈmer**cialise/com**ˈmer**cialize - fa**ˈmil**iarise/fa**ˈmil**iarize - pri**ˈor**itise/pri**ˈor**itize
* Stress in the third syllable

decon**ˈta**minate - ˌmanu**ˈfac**ture
## The letter e

There are many words which have "e" in the first syllable. In many cases if you know the stress you can predict the pronunciation and viceversa

* Most words with the first **e** pronounced like /ɪ/ are stressed in the second syllable.

Nouns: be**lief** - De**cem**ber - de**fence** - de**mand** - de**par**ture - de**tec**tive - e**clipse** - el**lipse** - e**mo**tion - e**xam**ple - ex**cept** - ex**pen**sive - ex**per**ience - ex**tinct** - re**ceipt** - re**port** - re**search** - re**sult**
Verbs: be**come** - be**gin** - be**lieve** - de**cide** - de**clare** - de**fy** - de**pend** - en**joy** - e**val**uate - ex**plain** - ex**per**ience - pre**pare** - pre**tend** - pre**vent** - re**ceive** - re**cov**er - re**fer** - re**fuse** - re**gret** - re**main** - re**mem**ber - re**peat** - re**ply** - re**port** - re**spect** - re**turn** - re**veal** - re**wind**
Other parts of speech: be**cause** - be**fore** - be**tween**
* When the first **e** is the stressed syllable, it is usually pronounced /e/:

Nouns: **beg**gar - **ben**efit - **cel**ery - **cer**emony - **ef**fort - **en**gine - **ex**ercise - **ex**it - **ex**pert - **gen**eral - **gen**tlemen - **lev**el - **mech**anism - **pep**per - **rec**ipe - **re**cord - **res**cue - **se**cond - **sec**retary - **sen**tence - **veg**etable - **yes**terday
Verbs: **det**onate - **ed**it - **ed**ucate - **en**ter - **ex**it - **hes**itate - **lev**el
Other parts of speech: **cen**tral - **de**finitely - **fed**eral - **men**tal
This is particularly noticeable in many verbs which have the same spelling for the noun; See Heteronym.

ex**port** *(v.)* - **ex**port *(n.);* re**cord** *(v.)* - **re**cord *(n.);*
Exceptions:

First syllable
/ɪ/: **Eng**land - **Eng**lish - **pret**ty
/iː/: **de**cent - **de**tail - **e**ven - **fe**male - **le**gal - **Pe**ter - **pre**vious - **re**cent - **re**gion - **re**tail - **sec**ret - **se**quence - **ve**hicle
Second syllable
/iː/: re**play**
/e/: tech**nique**
Third syllable
/e/: cele**bra**tion
## Heteronyms

Many heteronyms have a difference in stress. In many cases a noun is stressed in the first syllable and a verb is stressed in the second.

Noun-verb
* **ˈat**tribute *(n.)* - at**ˈtrib**ute *(v.);* **ˈcon**tract *(n.)* - con**ˈtract** *(v.);* **ˈex**port *(n.)* - ex**ˈport** *(v.);* **ˈin**sult *(n.)* - in**ˈsult** *(v.);* **ˈrec**ord *(n.)* - re**ˈcord** *(v.);*

Other
* a**ˈrith**metic *(n.)* - arith**ˈmet**ic *(adj.);* **ˈin**valid *(n.)* - in**ˈval**id *(adj.);*

## Minimal pairs

* **ˈdif** ˈfer - de**ˈfer**; **ˈin**sight - in**ˈcite**; **ˈin**sult *(n.)* - in**ˈsult** *(v.)*

Many words that appear to be minimal pairs, with only stress as a difference, also have a vowel change. For example the noun "ˈexport" is pronounced with /e/ and the verb "exˈport" is pronounced with /ɪ/.

## Variant pronunciations

Some words may be pronounced with stress in different syllables. In some cases there is a regional variation.

* ad**dress**/**ad**dress*AmE* - a**dult**/**ad**ult - ad**ver**tisement*BrE*/adver**tise**ment*AmE* - **com**posite*BrE*/com**pos**ite*AmE* - **con**troversy (traditional pronunciation, both *BrE* and *AmE*)/con**tro**versy (new pronunciation, peculiarly *BrE*) - **kil**ometre/ki**lom**etre - **trans**ference*BrE*/trans**fer**ence*AmE*

This is particularly noticeable in French borrowings.

* **bal**let*BrE*/bal**let***AmE* - **chau**ffeur*BrE*/chauf**feur***AmE* - fi**an**cé(e)*BrE*/fian**cé(e)***AmE* - **gar**age*BrE*/ga**rage***AmE* - **lin**gerie*BrE*/linge**rie***AmE*

Many words that have a secondary stress in American English don't pronunce that vowel in British English:

* cemetery /ˈseməˌteriː/*AmE* - /ˈsemətriː/*BrE*
* military /ˈmɪləˌteriː/*AmE* - /ˈmɪlətriː/*BrE*
* ordinary /ˈɔːrdənˌeriː/*AmE* - /ˈɔːrdənriː/*BrE*
* secretary /ˈsekrəˌteriː/*AmE* - /ˈsekrətriː/*BrE*
* temporary /ˈtempəreriː/*AmE* - /ˈtemprəriː/*BrE*

* laboratory /ˈlæbrəˌtɔːriː/*AmE* - /ləˈbɒrətriː/*BrE*

In other cases the vowel is a schwa in British English.

* adversary /ˈædvərˌseriː/*AmE* - /ˈædvərsəriː/*BrE*
* capillary: /ˈkæpəˌleriː/*AmE* - /kəˈpɪləriː/*BrE*
* category /ˈkætəɡɔːriː/*AmE* - /ˈkætəɡəriː/*BrE*
* customary /ˈkʌstəˌmeriː/ - /ˈkʌstəməriː/*BrE*
* literary /ˈlɪtəˌreriː/*AmE* - /ˈlɪtərəriː/*BrE*
* necessary /ˈnesəˌseriː/*AmE* - /ˈnesəsəriː/
* rosemary /ˈrəʊzˌmeriː/*AmE* - /ˈrəʊzməriː/*BrE*

Other words don't have a secondary accent even if they end in "ry":

* adultery /əˈdʌltəriː/
* delivery /dɪˈlɪvəriː/

See also Varisyllabic words.

## Unstressed words

*Main article:* Weak form
Many common words can be unstressed in a sentence. For example, "ˌI can ˈswim" has stresses in "I" and in "swim". In "ˌYes, ˌI ˈcan" all words are stressed.

## Anticipated pronunciation difficulties depending on L1

### Spanish

Many Spanish speakers think that all English words are stressed in the first syllable, and they pronounce \***ca**nal, \***ho**tel, \***per**haps, \***be**tween, or \***per**formance. Even the word car**tel** is pronounced "cártel" by many people when speaking Spanish.

## References

1. ↑ David Crystal, "A pronounced change in British speech" PDF format
2. ↑ The Telegraph, The 'conTROversy' over changing pronunciations, 5 Feb 2011
3. ↑ Real Academia Española, *Diccionario de la lengua española* (DLE) cartel2