Word Stress in English — Are You Stressing the Right Syllable?
🎯 A2–B1
⏱️ 5 min
💬 The word that confused everyone: A student asked for the menu at a restaurant — but said “DESsert” for “desSERT” (the sweet course). The waiter heard “DEsert” (the sandy place). Same letters. Different stress. Different world.
Word Stress — Stress the Right Syllable!
In English, one syllable in every word is stressed — said louder, longer, and higher. Getting this wrong makes words hard to understand.
Stress Patterns — Common Rules
| Pattern | Rule | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Nouns (2 syllables) | Usually stress 1st syllable | TA-ble · WIN-dow · MU-sic |
| Verbs (2 syllables) | Often stress 2nd syllable | re-LAKS · be-GIN · de-CIDE |
| -tion / -sion words | Stress syllable before | edu-CA-tion · pro-NUN-ci-a-tion |
| Noun vs Verb pairs | Noun: 1st · Verb: 2nd | RE-cord (n) vs re-CORD (v) |
Noun/Verb Pairs (same spelling, different stress)
PREsent (noun/adj) — a gift / here now
preSENT (verb) — to show or give
preSENT (verb) — to show or give
REfuse (noun) — rubbish / waste
reFUSE (verb) — to say no
reFUSE (verb) — to say no
PERmit (noun) — a document
perMIT (verb) — to allow
perMIT (verb) — to allow
OBject (noun) — a thing
obJECT (verb) — to disagree
obJECT (verb) — to disagree
🎯 Quick Practice — Mark the Stress
Put the stressed syllable IN CAPITALS:
- education (e-du-ca-tion)
- “I need to re-cord this.” (verb)
- pronunciation (pro-nun-ci-a-tion)
- “Give me that pre-sent!” (noun)
Reveal Answers ▼
- e-du-CA-tion
- re-CORD
- pro-NUN-ci-a-tion
- PRE-sent
✅ Takeaway: Always check word stress in a dictionary (look for the ˈ mark). Noun/verb pairs often differ. -tion words: stress the syllable before -tion.
Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.