stress rules

Some stress rules
1. One word has only one stress
2. We can only stress vowel, not consonant.
Stress position (on)
rst

3. the 1

syllable

Oo..

Word form
most 2 syllable nouns
most 2 syllable
adjectives

4. penultimate syllable ..ooOo
(= the second
syllable form the
end)

suffix:
-ic

Exceptions
Examples
present, export, China, table, city, ruler, machine, mistake, advise, rely,
thirteen…
matter, poster, butcher, carpet…
happy, lucky, clever, angry, hungry,

alone
modern, trouble, crazy, handsome, busy,
pretty…
graphic, geographic, geologic, picnic,
arabic, catholic, lunatic, politics
machenic, garlic, specific,electric, static,
pacific, statistic, comic, robotic, stragetic,
domestic, economic, diplomatic, terrific,
sympathetic, politic…

-ical

mathematical, political, electrical,
musical, mechanical, practical…

-sion

comprehension, conversion, decision,
permission, conclusion, mission,
accession, division, collision,
sucession…

-tion

intonation, caution, option,
congratulation, population, destination,
observation, recognition,
expectation,computation, destruciton,
calculation…

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television


-ial/ -ially

artificial/ artificially, essential/ essentially,
official, social, presidential, facial,
commercial…
-ance, -ence, -ant, -ent important, attendance, independent…
-ian
-ience, -ient
-iar, -ior, -ia
-eous, -ious, -ous

-ory, -ury, -ular

5. antepenultimate
syllable (= the third
syllable from the
end)

..oOoo

-cious, -tious, -xious
suffix:
-cy
-ty

-phy
-gy

6. the last syllable

..oooO

-al
-tive
most 2 syllable verbs

librarian, musician, politician…
efficient, conscience…
familiar, interior, criteria…
simultaneous, spontaneous,
compendious, various, dangerous,
famous, tremendous…
memory, factory, injury, mercury,
regular, particular..
precious, infectious, anxious…
democracy, agency, geology, fluency…
dependability, ability, nationality,
opportunity, necessity, community,
activity, quality, equality, simplicity…
photography, geography…
methodology, technology, physiology,
biology, psychology…
international, optional, industrial…
competitive, sensitive…
(to) present, decide, begin, describe,

damage, infect, practice, pronouce,
relax, attract, allow, destroy…

visit, travel, promise, answer,
enter, listen, offer, follow,
happen, open…

7. Suffixes
-ee
-eer

degree, addressee, employee, trainee,
referee, nominee, refugee…
mountaineer, pioneer, auctioneer,
engineer…

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committee, coffee


-ese
-ain
(for Verb only)
-aire
-ique

8. the first part

9. the second part

Oo

oO

compound nouns

Vietnamese, portugese, Japanese,
Chinese….
retain, remain, contain, maintain…
questionaire, millionaire, billionaire…
technique, unique, antique…

compound words
blackbird, greenhouse, homework,
housework, raincoat, shortcut, teacup,
dishwasher, basketball, suitcase,
phonebook…

duty-free, snow-white…

compound adjectives

bad-tempered, old-fashioned, well-done, Homesick, airsick, waterproof…
well-dressed, short-shighted, ill-treated,
well-informed…

compound verbs

(to) over flow, understand, down-grade,

back-pedal, ill-treat…

compound adverbs

head-first, north-east, north-west,
downstream, downstairs, upstairs…

10. Prefixes and suffixes normally don't change the word stress.

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