Rules for Syllable Stress in Words

 

Rules for syllable stress in words

The disyllabic noun takes stress on first.

‘Object

The disyllabic verb takes stress on second.

Ob’ject

Exceptions:

Add’ress

‘Promise

‘Comment

Disyllabic words with weak prefixes.

Example

A’loud

A’rise

A’loft

Be’fore

Be’hind

Polysyllabic words ending with –ate, ise, ize take stress on third syllable from the last.

Examples

‘Separate

Ar’ticulate

Ex’aggerate

‘Exercise

‘realise

Exceptions

‘Characterize

‘Categorise

Words ending with the suffixes –tion, -sion, -ity,-ify, -ic,-ical, -ically,-ial, -ian, -ious, -eous takes stress on the preceding syllable of the suffixes.

Examples

‘Station

‘Passion

Ac’tivity

‘Justify

‘Civic

Me’chanical

I’dentically

‘Social

Li’brarian

In’jurious

Cou’rageous

Words ending with –graph, --graphy, -logy, --cracy, --crat take stress on third syllable from the last.

Examples

‘Photograph

‘Autograph

Pho’to graphy

Bi’ography

Psy’chology

Bu’reaucracy

De’mocrat

The words with the following suffixes have stress on the suffix itself.

i.                    –eer  : volun’teer , marke’teer

ii.                  –ee : addre’ssee, pay’ee

iii.                –ique : un’que, phy’sique

iv.               –ain: ob’tain, enter’tain

v.                 –esque: pictu’resque, gro’tesque

vi.               –itis: ar’thritis, bron’chitis

vii.             –aire: question’naire, millio’naire

viii.           –ette: ciga’rette, cas’sette

ix.                –ade: lemo’nade

x.                  –ever: when’ever, for’ever

xi.                –ese: Chi’nese, Japa’nese

xii.              –self: my,self, your’self

Inflectional and derivational suffixes do not affect the stress pattern of the root word.

Examples

-ed, -s , -es, -ing, -ship, -y, -en, -er, -able, -less, -ness, -ish, -ure

 

 

Compound words take stress on the firs constituent.

Examples

Blackboard, downstairs, timetable, birthday