WordStressRulesEnglishClub.

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Therearetwoverysimplerulesaboutwordstress:
1.Onewordhasonlyonestress.(Onewordcannothavetwostresses.Ifyouhear
twostresses,youheartwowords.Twostressescannotbeoneword.Itistruethat
therecanbea"secondary"stressinsomewords.Butasecondarystressismuch
smallerthanthemain[primary]stress,andisonlyusedinlongwords.)
2.Wecanonlystressvowels,notconsonants.
Herearesomemore,rathercomplicated,rulesthatcanhelpyouunderstandwheretoput
thestress.Butdonotrelyonthemtoomuch,becausetherearemanyexceptions.Itis
bettertotryto"feel"themusicofthelanguageandtoaddthestressnaturally.
A.Stressonfirstsyllable
rule

example

Most2syllablenouns

PRESent,EXport,CHIna,TAble

Most2syllableadjectives PRESent,SLENder,CLEVer,HAPpy

B.Stressonlastsyllable
rule

example

Most2syllableverbs preSENT,exPORT,deCIDE,beGIN

TherearemanytwosyllablewordsinEnglishwhosemeaningandclasschangewitha
changeinstress.Thewordpresent,forexampleisatwosyllableword.Ifwestress
thefirstsyllable,itisanoun(gift)oranadjective(oppositeofabsent).Butifwestress
thesecondsyllable,itbecomesaverb(tooffer).Moreexamples:thewordsexport,
import,contractandobjectcanallbenounsorverbsdependingonwhetherthe
stressisonthefirstorsecondsyllable.
C.Stressonpenultimatesyllable(penultimate=secondfromend)
rule

example

Wordsendinginic

GRAPHic,geoGRAPHic,geoLOGic

Wordsendinginsionandtion teleVIsion,reveLAtion

Forafewwords,nativeEnglishspeakersdon'talways"agree"onwheretoputthe
stress.Forexample,somepeoplesayteleVIsionandotherssayTELevision.Another

exampleis:CONtroversyandconTROversy.
D.Stressonantepenultimatesyllable(antepenultimate=thirdfromend)
rule

example

Wordsendingincy,ty,phyandgy deMOcracy,dependaBIlity,phoTOgraphy,geOLogy
Wordsendinginal

CRItical,geoLOGical

E.Compoundwords(wordswithtwoparts)
rule

example

Forcompoundnouns,thestressisonthefirstpart

BLACKbird,GREENhouse

Forcompoundadjectives,thestressisonthesecondpart badTEMpered,oldFASHioned
Forcompoundverbs,thestressisonthesecondpart

underSTAND,overFLOW