Written By: Chris Trueman
IELTS Prep Instructor | Aston American University
Do you want to speak English well? Good pronunciation (how clearly you speak) and fluency (how smoothly you speak) are vital if you want to speak effectively and to ensure that recipients can understand what you are saying. For this post, we will look at one of the two important aspects of speaking English, which will help determine your spoken English competence.
Word Stress
Word stress is an important component of good pronunciation and an integral part of the English language as opposed to other languages such as French, Italian and Japanese. With all words consisting of more than two syllables, one syllable is stressed. Many non-native speakers do not pronounce words using the correct word stress pattern, and consequently, are not easily understood when speaking English. English tends to have a natural rhythm, which is highlighted by the fact that some syllables are stressed by saying them louder and longer. Consequently, when new words are learned, the stress pattern also needs to be learned.
The rules for word stress are as follows:
| RULE | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|
|
Most 2-syllable nouns and adjectives have the stress on the opening syllable. |
“BIScuit”, “TAble”, “CHIna”, “CLOUdy”, “WIndy” |
|
Most 2-syllable verbs and prepositions have the stress on the second syllable. |
“aSIDE”, “beGIN”, “preFER”, “beTWEEN” |
|
With words ending in “ly” and “er”, the stress is normally on the first syllable. |
“PROperly”, “MARketer” |
|
If the word ends in “y”, the stress is normally on the first syllable. |
“ICily”, “INtimately” |
|
Where words have a particular suffix, the stress is on that suffix. |
“lemonADE”, “obESE”, “silhouETTE”, “ballOON”, “addressEE” |
|
Words finishing with “tion” and “sion” ordinarily have stress on the penultimate syllable. |
“aBRAsion”, “abDUCtion” |
|
Words concluding with “phy”, “gy”, “cy” and “ty” ordinarily have stress on the antepenultimate syllable. |
“Atrophy”, “aPOlogy”, “CONstancy”, “acTIvity” |
|
With reflexive pronouns, the stress is normally on the second syllable. |
“mySELF” |
|
When using a compound noun, we ordinarily stress the initial syllable. |
“BLACKboard” |
|
With a compound adjective, we ordinarily stress the second syllable |
“full-TIME” |
Don’t forget these rules are not flawless and are for guidance only as there are many exceptions in English.
Nouns and verbs with similar spelling are pronounced differently according to their meaning:
| Noun (Stress 1st Syllable) | Verb (Stress 2nd Syllable) |
|---|---|
| RECord | reCORD |
| DESert |
deSERT |
| PRODuce | proDUCE |
| PERmit | perMIT |
| PROject | proJECT |
| PRESent | preSENT |
| CONtract | conTRACT |
| IMpact | imPACT |
Whether you are learning English for the first time, strengthening your English for the workplace or preparing for your IELTS exam, try these tips for yourself and practice. If you would like to learn more about improving your spoken English, contact Aston American University. We have a full English curriculum tailored to your individual needs.
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