Stress

- one-syllable content words

(nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) are usually stressed
- one-syllable non-content words
(auxiliaries, articles, prepositions, pronouns etc.) unstressed
- All words with two syllables have one stress (even non-content
words such as below, upon, without, herself etc.)
- two syllable non-content words are often shortened in poetry (e.g.
e’er for ever, o’er for over), these shortened forms are usually
unstressed;
-
Stress on the 1st syllable

Rule
Example
Noun of two syllables = N = '1 + 2
'En/glish - 'Fa/ther - 'teach/er - 'Act/or

'Pres/ent

An adjective = (Adj. = '1 + 2)

'Hap/py - 'Sun/ny - 'Hot/ter - 'Ug/ly - 'Stu/pid.

An adverb or a preposition
( Adv. = '1 + 2)
E.g. 'Un/der / 'O/ver - 'Ne/ver - 'Af/ter

Stress on 2nd syllable

Rule
Example
Adverbs : “Be'low”, “Be'neath”, “A'bove”, “A'go”
stress is on the second syllable because the first contains /ə /.

A verb of two syllables V = 1 + '2

Cor/'rect - Pre/'sent - Be/'lieve
stress is on the first syllable because the second syllable contains /ə/

'La/bel”, “'O/pen”

Compound nouns :
Rule
Example
'N1 + N2 takes stress on the first noun
'Lady bird, '- Taxi driver,

'Schoolbag, - 'Silk worm,

'Pencil case, - 'Suit - case.

'Adj. + N takes stress on the adjective (Adj.

'Black board, - 'Green house, 'Round table - 'Black smith-

'White house.

Adj. + 'V (pp) takes stress on the verb (V (pp)).

Well 'done - Well 'known –

Old 'fashioned - Narrow 'minded

Preposition + 'V takes stress on the verb (V)

Under 'stand - Over 'do-

Over 'flow - Under 'estimate

A phrasal verb

A phrasal verb
(V + 'Prep/or 'Adv) takes stress on the Prep/or Adv.
Sit 'down- Fly a'way –
Stand 'up - Climb 'up –
Run a'way - Go 'into
A word that ends with (ics)

takes stress on the

second syllable from end.

'Graph/ic - 'Ma/gic - Me/'chan/ic - 'Pan/ic - 'Pub/lic

A word that ends with sion(s)

takes stress on the

second syllable from end.

'Vi/sion - Di/'vi/sion

Con/'clu/sion

Tel/e/'vi/sion or 'Tel/e/vi/sion

A word that ends with tion(s)

takes stress on the

second syllable from end.

In/tro/'duc/tion - Si/tu/'a/tion - In/'ten/tion

A word that ends with ive

takes stress on the

second syllable from end.

Ex/'pens/ive - Ef/'fect/ive

Com/'puls/iv

(But : In/'quis/i/tive)

A word that ends with ant

takes stress on the

second syllable from end.

Im/'por/tant - Re/'sis/tant As/'sis/tant

Rule Endings Examples

A word that ends (cy, ty, phy, gy, al, er, U/ni/'ver/si/ty, Sim/i/'lar/i/ty,
(finishes) with one of ful, less, ous , fy, ible, Re/'al/i/ty
these thirteen (13) - able, ist, ness, ize, Phi/'los/o/phy, Pho/'tog/ra/phy
endings takes stress on etc...) 'Beau/ti/ful, 'Plen/ti/ful (But:
the third syllable from Re/'spect/ful, De/'light/ful)
end (2nd)
'Col/our/less,