Word stress, like every other aspect of the English Language, is governed by rules. But before examining these rules, it is important to briefly look at how important stress is in English speech. Stress is used to communicate meaning clearly in English speech. Consider PRO-ject (noun: a piece of work undertaken); and pro-JECT (verb: to communicate clearly). It’s the same word “project,” but stress is used to make the meaning clear and precise in each case. When we use the word as a noun, we stress the first syllable (PRO-ject); when we use the same word as a verb, we stress the second syllable (pro-JECT). So, it helps us to convey our intended meaning and communicate our ideas accurately and more clearly. Misuse of stress leads to mispronunciation of words, which distorts meaning, and results in a communication breakdown.
Stress placement is governed by some rules, and learning these rules helps ESL users of English to improve their English pronunciation. Before discussing these rules, however, it’s necessary for us to examine briefly the underlining factors that determine stress placement.
1. WORD CLASS (PART OF SPEECH): Word class affects the way a word is stressed in English. For example, the word project is stressed on the first syllable when it is used as a noun, but it is stressed on the second syllable when used as a verb: PRO-ject (noun), pro-JECT (verb). This is an indication that most two-syllable nouns are stressed on the first syllable, whereas most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable.
2. SYLLABLES: A syllable is the part of a word that can be pronounced in one breath. In other words, a syllable is a unit of pronunciation: English words are classified according to the number of syllables they contain, namely: Monosyllabic words (words of one syllable), Bi-syllabic words (words of two syllables), and Polysyllabic words (words of three or more syllables). Moreover, syllables are described as strong or weak, depending on the quality of the vowel sound they contain. All these affect the way words are stressed in English.
3. AFFIXES: PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES: The prefix is a letter or letters added to the beginning of a word to form a new word. The suffix is a letter or letters added to the end of a word to form a new word. Prefixes are usually unstressed except in certain cases of shifting stress. Suffixes determine stress in polysyllabic words.
Now, let’s examine some of the rules that govern stress placement in English words.
Rule 1. If a two-syllable word is used as a noun and also as a verb, stress the first syllable when it is a noun, and stress the second syllable when it is a verb: PRO-ject/pro-JECT, EX-port/ex-PORT, IM-port/im-PORT, etc.
Rule 2. If a two-syllable word is used as a noun and also as an adjective, stress the first syllable when it is a noun, and stress the second syllable when it is an adjective: AU-gust/au-GUST, A-dult/a-DULT, etc.
Rule 3. If a two-syllable word is used as an adjective and also as a verb, stress the first syllable when it is an adjective, and stress the second syllable when it is a verb: PRE-sent/pre-SENT, AB-sent/ab-SENT, FRE-quent/fre-QUENT, etc.
Rule 4. Most two-syllable nouns and adjectives are stressed on the first syllable, BUT most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable: Nouns: WIN-dow, MON-day, HOS-tel, etc. Adjectives: GEN-tle, EA-easy, RIGH-teous, PRO-per, etc. Verbs: pro-DUCE, re-PORT, nar-RATE, trans-FER, dic-TATE, de-NOUNCE, re-JECT, etc.
Rule 5. If a two-syllable word begins with a prefix, stress the second syllable: dis-TURB, un-FAIR, un-KNOWN, re-TURN, re-WIRE, re-MAKE, en-JOY, im-POUND, ob-SERVE, de-SIST, a-BOUT, ex-PAND, con-FORM, bet-WEEN, in-VITE, etc.
NOTE: This rule applies more to verbs, adverbs, and prepositions. The prefix is stressed for a noun that can also be used as a verb. Examples: EX-port, IM-port, CON-vict, OB-ject, EX-pense, AB-scess, etc
Rule 6. For words that end in the following suffixes, they almost always take stress on the second syllable from the end::–ion, -ic, -ial, -ian, -ien, -ious, -tant
Examples:
communi-CA-tion, super-VI-sion, demar-CA-tion, a-TO-mic, dra-MA-tic, stra-TE-gic,
demo-CRA-tic, eco-NO-mic, co-LO-nial, pro-VER-bial, tu-TO-rial, ci-VI-lian, co-ME-
dian, mu-CI-cian, su-FFI-cient, de-FI-cient, in-GRE-dient, con-TEN-tious, RIGH-teous,
im-POR-tant, po-LLU-tant, etc.
Note: Break the word into syllables, and then count from the end:
4 3 2 1
de-mo-cra-tic = de-mo-CRA-tic
There are many other rules that govern stress placement in English words. For a more detailed audiovisual explanation of word stress, the factors that determine stress placement, and the various rules of stress in English words, watch the following video lectures:
The following eBooks will give you further insight into word stress in English and other areas of language proficiency, such as grammatical structures, essay writing – letter writing, article writing, speech writing, report writing, story writing – comprehension, summary writing, vowel and consonant sounds, and so forth:
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