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Jun 26, 2019 · This article features the eight most common word syllable stress patterns in English. It teaches ESL students how to identify and stress syllables.
- Kenneth Beare
Apr 25, 2024 · Only vowel sounds are stressed (a,e,i,o,u). A general rule is that for two syllable words, nouns and adjectives have the stress on the first syllable, but verbs have the stress on the second syllable. For example: ta ble (noun), spec ial (adjective), de mand (verb).
There are three kinds of syllable stress in English: primary stressed syllables, secondary stressed syllables, and unstressed syllables. Primary stressed syllables are louder and longer than the other syllables in the word.
- Nouns and adjectives with two syllables. The rule: When a noun (a word referring to a person, thing, place or abstract quality) or an adjective (a word that gives information about a noun) has two syllables, the stress is usually on the first syllable.
- Verbs and prepositions with two syllables. The rule: When a verb (a word referring to an action, event or state of being) or a preposition (a small word that comes before a noun, pronoun or the “-ing” form of a verb, and shows its relation to another word or part of the sentence) has two syllables, the stress is usually on the second syllable.
- Words that are both a noun and a verb. The rule: Some words in English can be both a noun and a verb. In those cases, the noun has its word stress on the first syllable, and with the verb, the stress falls on the second syllable.
- Three syllable words ending in “er” and “ly” The rule: Words that have three syllables and end in “-er” or “-ly” often have a stress on the first syllable.
This page gives you the rules for word stress, with audio. Two simple rules and five more complicated rules for which syllable to stress in English. Pronunciation for ESL learners.
The stressed syllable is usually louder, longer, and pronounced with a higher pitch than the other syllables. Knowing a word's stress is important because a misplaced stress can change the meaning of a word or confuse listeners.
Along with the symbols for stressed and secondarily-stressed syllables, dots are used to show the rhythm of spoken English stress patterns. A large dot represents a stressed syllable, a medium dot represents a secondarily-stressed syllable, and a small dot represents an unstressed syllable. comˈpete.
