WORD AND SENTENCE STRESS

By Jeyson Torres
As we know Stress affects directly the phonemes to be pronounced as well as meaning. Eg. Present / Present = /'prεsənt/ - /prɪs'εnt/.
All monosyllable words are stressed and all words with two syllables and on have at least one syllable which has more emphasis than the others (stress). This means, this syllable is pronounced louder and the
phonemes must be pronounced accordingly.
We can divide word stress into different categories:

ONE SYLLABLE TWO SYLLABLE TWO SYLLABLE TWO OR MORE TWO OR MORE TWO OR MORE THREE OR MORE THREE OR MORE
WORDS WORDS WORDS SYLLABLE WORDS SYLLABLE WORDS SYLLABLE WORDS SYLLABLE WORDS SYLLABLE WORDS
Words with Prefixes
Words with “ic”, “ial”, Words with “ate”,
OR Suffixes “able”,
Most verbs, Reflexive “ian”, “ber”, “pher”, “ity”, “phy”, “my”,
Most Nouns, Adverbs, “ly”, “ent”, “ant”,
Pronouns, Words ending in “ee”, “ter”, “tor”, “ant”, “ry”, “gy”, “cy”, “nal”,
Adjectives & “ess”, “hood”,
Nouns ending in “ice”, “eer”, “eme”, “ede”, “ive”, “ion”, “ian”, “cal”, “ble”, “ia”, “na”, Words ending in
Any word Compound Words. “ship”, “lise(ze)”,
“use” “ete”, “ette”, “een”, “ple”, “ous”, “ish”, “non”, “an”, “tive”, “ary”, “tor”
Verbs ending in “Le”, “ful”, “ish”, “or”
Adjectives ending in “am”, “ese”, “que” “en”, “ia”, “ient”, “ent”, “fit”, “ite”,
“Ce” or vowel + N, R, L
“ure” or with prefixes “sis”, “ute”, “ance” “ise”, “ize”, “ant”
(ing, ed, s, es, er,
endings Endings
est)
Stress in the Stress in the second Stress in the Third
Stress in the First Stress in the second Stress in the last Stress in the first
They are all stressed original word before the last before the last
syllable syllable syllable before the last syllable
syllable syllable. syllable.
Red Tuesday Allow Become Refugee Artistic Educate
win, Contrast Invite Believe Employee Realistic Indicate
sun, Brother Contrast Rebuild Guarantee Electric Communicate
judge Oven Diffuse Remove Volunteer Electronic Humiliate
yes Window Escape Dislike Engineer Republic Evaluate
Stand Present Forget Behind Phoneme Economic Decorate
Spend Record Invalid Outrun Photographic Examinate
Hi Artist Relax Depart Concede Complicate
He Twenty Enjoy Unhappy Intercede Essential
Bat Thirty Present Uncertain Financial Civility
Key Forty Record Complete Artificial Ability
Boy Fifty Pronounce Originally Proverbial Nationality
Keep Ninety Explain Intensively Brunette Community
eye Access Recordable Musician Authority Vocabulary
on Myself Employment Thirteen Electrician Reality Customary
log Ever Themselves Assistant Fourteen Diversity
of Always Colorant Fifteen September University Alligator
To Usually Advice Important Nineteen Decipher Popularity
Drive Only Police Enjoyable Computer
Do Sometimes Exam Photography
Or Excuse Awareness Creative Economy
Be Civil Diffuse Happiness Japanese Persuasive Autonomy
Scope Awful Applause Regardless Astronomy
slur Famous Secure Bamboo Commission Category
Sneak Invalid Obscure Brotherhood Television Chemistry
Like Better Unsure Likelihood Unique History
Real Impure Antique Civilization Phonology
Except: Articles “the” Relationship Station Anthropology
and “a” Bedroom Partnership Afternoon Interception Biology
Spotlight Balloon Education Emergency
 Schoolhouse Civilize Communication Accuracy
Checklist Nationalize Humiliation
Bookstore Personalize Decoration National
Homework Standardize Original
Suspicion Economical
Answer Beautiful
Enter Successful Example Accessible
Offer unthankful Perishable
Listen Courageous Vulnerable
Happen Selfish Controllable
Open Childish Infectious Syllable
Cancel Stylish Ambitious Comfortable
Practice Notorious
Notice Sneaking Religious American
Settle Contributing
Punish Phenomena
Employer Furnish Phenomenon
Computer Extinguish
Establish Qualitative
Denominator Accomplish Competitive
Contributor Intuitive
Eleven
President
Criteria Argument
Militia
Media Benefit

Patient Composite
Sufficient
Ingredient Compromise
Recipient
Penalize
Diagnosis
Hypnosis Commandant
Osmosis Applicant

Contribute
Distribute

Surveillance
Balance
Alliance

WHEN A WORD IS AFFECTED BY A SUFFIX, REMEMBER TO CHANGE THE STRESS AND THE PHONEMES ACCORDING TO WHERE THE STRESS IS MOVED.
WHEN A WORD IS AFFECTED BY A PREFIX, REMEMBER TO KEEP THE STRESS IN THE ORIGINAL POSITION OF THE BASE WORD.

Some words are very similar, but the stress changes the meaning
GO TO http://www.wordstress.info to find some exercises and additional explanations.