ESL Pronunciation Tip: Word Stress Predictability

While there are many exceptions to the rules of syllable stress in English, some helpful guidelines exist that can be used to predict stress. Use the following guidelines when you are teaching ESL so students learn how to predict stress as you see fit. Ensure that your students understand the concept of syllables prior to teaching word stress to facilitate the teaching of these principles. Also, it may be necessary to explicitly teach your ESL students what word stress is, emphasizing that every word that is two or more syllables contains one syllable that is stressed higher in pitch, longer, and louder than the other syllable(s) in the word. This is referred to as primary stress. The syllable that receives the second most stress is referred to as secondary stress. Although secondary stress could also be acknowledged when teaching your students word stress predictability, the information contained in this document refers only to primary stress.

Two-syllable Words

Use the part of speech as a guide:

Most nouns and adjectives receive stress on the first syllable.
      EXAMPLES: mother, table, garden, happy, easy, famous

Some verbs and prepositions receive stress on the second syllable.
      EXAMPLES: arrive, explain, begin, between, below, across

NOTE: Most two-syllable words receive stress on the first syllable. Twenty percent of two-syllable words receive stress on the second syllable. In general, stress the first syllable of two-syllable words. Very few nouns and adjectives have stress on the second syllable. Verbs and prepositions may have stress on the second syllable. But be aware that there are many exceptions to this rule.

When learning vocabulary through reading, stress is not heard. Consult a dictionary to learn word stress or to confirm word stress predictions.

 

Three-Syllable Words:
Use word endings as a guide
The primary stress does not change in a word when the endings –er, –or, or –ly are added.
      EXAMPLES: perform/performer, translate/translator, rapid/rapidly

In words ending in a consonant + -y, the first syllable receives primary stress.
      EXAMPLES: history, faculty, energy

Use the suffix as a guide:
Generally, the primary stress is on the syllable that comes just before the suffix.
      EXAMPLES: -ion: nation, suggestion, onion, opinion, , decision, occasion
                         -ic: metric, plastic, academic, artistic, problematic. magnetic
                         -ics: physics, italics, economics, statistics, mathematics
                         -ial: social, special, partial, official, material, industrial
                         -ical: identical, medical, vertical, grammatical, historical, alphabetical
                         -ian: Indian, Columbian, Cambodian
                         -cian: magician, technician, physician, mortician, optician
                         -ity: quantity, gravity, ability, security, opportunity, generosity
                         -cial: commercial, official, financial
                         -ary: secretary, voluntary, vocabulary
                         -ery: scenery
                         -tal: dental, accidental, developmental
                         -ium: aquarium, auditorium, premium
                         -imum: maximum
                         -graphy: photography, geography, oceanography
                         -able: memorable, dependable, adorable
                         -ible: sensible
                         -logy: psychology, biology, ecology

In words that contain the suffixes –ee, -ese, -eer, -ique, and –ette, the primary stress is on the suffix.
      EXAMPLES: -ee: employee, refugee, trustee
                         -ese: Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese
                         -eer: pioneer, auctioneer, career
                         -ique: unique, antique, physique, critique
                        -ette: cassette, marionette, cigarette
      EXCEPTIONS: television, lunatic, politics, Catholic, arithmetic, coffee, naturalize, permeate
 
NOTE: Some words have TWO pronunciations.
      EXAMPLE: employee--The primary stress is on the syllable before the suffix (emPLOYee) OR on the suffix (employEE).

 

Prefixes

Prefixes in English are not usually stressed, i.e. in words beginning with the prefixes un-, in-, pre-, ex-, and mis-.

     EXAMPLES: un-: unhealthy, unwise, unnecessary
                         in-: intolerant, insufficient, indifferent
                             pre-: prevent, prefer, predict
                             ex-: explain, expose, experience
                             mis-: misplace, mistake, misrepresent

Compound Nouns

The first part in a compound noun receives stress.

      EXAMPLES: hallway, pancakes, sidewalk, birthday, paycheck, newspaper 


Proper Nouns

 The second part of two-word proper nouns receives stress.
      EXAMPLES: North America, Red Sea, Cook Islands, New York

 

Phrasal Verbs

The second part of phrasal verbs receives stress.
      EXAMPLES: look out, come back, keep on, figure out, look up to, put up with

 

Numbers

Numbers in multiples of ten receive stress on the first syllable.
      EXAMPLES: twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty

 

Reflexive Pronouns

Usually the second syllable in reflexive pronouns receives stress.
      EXAMPLES: myself, yourself, herself, himself, ourselves

 

Compound Verbs

Usually the second or last syllable receives stress in compound verbs.
      EXAMPLES: outdone, outsmart, overlook, overcome, outrun, outdo

Sources:

Beisbier, B. (1994). Sounds Great: Low Intermediate (and Intermediate) Pronunciation for Speakers of English: Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Dale, P. & Poms, L. (1999). English Pronunciation for international Students: Prentice Hall Regents.

Miller, S. (2006). Targeting Pronunciation: Communicating Clearly in English (2nd ed.): Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

For activities that can be used to teach students syllable stress, see the blog post entitled ESL Pronunciation Tip: Syllable Stress and the Schwa.

NOTE: This information is found in the Decoding Strategies for Literacy Development manual published by Reading Horizons and is used with permission.

See also the blog post entitled, "How Do You Say 'Factitious'?".