Learn English > English lessons and exercises > English test #130163: Word Stress (2)

	> Other English exercises on the same topic: Pronunciation [Change theme]
	> Similar tests: - Pronunciation of final S - Main stress - The sound [u:] - Onomatopoeia - Spelling: J, G, GE or DGE? - Pronunciation of the final sound -ED - A few difficulties with pronunciation - CH phonemes
	> Double-click on words you don't understand

Word Stress (2) - English lesson

In the past lesson, test, we started studying Stress Patterns. That word stress is fundamental to the good understanding of our spoken English and therefore to real communication. In that introduction, we reviewed the first steps of this process.

In order to be able to go on, we should, of course, read the first part again, so as to make sure the bases are well known.

(Once again, I advise you to repeat the different examples ALOUD to print the word stress into your memory. )

1) WORDS WHICH HAVE SUFFIXES: in English, SUFFIXES are never stressed:

a) With the suffixes : /ic/ [ical/ ically]/ sion/ tion/ the stress is always on the syllable preceding the /ic/, /sion/, /tion/ [however long the word is...]

- 'static, a'thletic, enthu'siastic...

- tele'vision, pro'vision, con'clusion, re'vision, 'vision...

- 'nation, cre'ation, in'duction, a'ttention, expec'tation...

b) With the suffixes : -cy/ -phy/ -ty/ -gy/ the stress is always on the antepenultimate syllable (the third last syllable).

- de'mocracy, 'decency, pho'tography, cinema'tography, phi'losophy, produc'tivity, ac'tivity,

bi'ology, ...

c) With the suffixe -ate [eit] the stress is always on the antepenultimate syllable (the third

last syllable) : e'liminate, 'regulate, 'accurate, a'cclimate, ac'commodate, ac'cumulate.

d) As for the suffixe -al : Easy! ( when preceded by ic=> -ical ) cf 2a (stress on the syllable

preceding the final -ic) - eco'nomical, mathe'matical, 'ethical, 'chemical

Less intuitive with other endings : 'actual, a'erial, afflu'ential, ambassa'dorial, 'cervical,

cere'monial, con'ditional, 'digital, e'pidural...

e) The suffixe -ise is never stressed either

'realise, 'analyse, 'organise, 'compromise, 'franchise

Be careful... many mistakes are made because of this suffix...

2) COMPOUNDS (compound nouns):

are composed of two nouns, but are sometimes written in just one word: swimming pool /

handshake. They are stressed on the first noun:

- 'swimming-pool, 'handshake, 'toothbrush, 'greenhouse..

COMPOUND-NOUNS

3) COMPOUND ADJECTIVES:

They are composed of two adjectives: they are stressed on the second word.

- a good-'looking girl, an old-'fashioned clock, a hard-'working student, a well-'known actor

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES

4) LAST, BUT NOT LEAST... here are THE TRAITORS!

Here are students' 'favourite' mistakes... Dozens, hundreds, thousands of times, undoubtedly, like most

of other language teachers, I had to correct the same mistakes... the mistakes we are expecting ( or rather

dreading), those which resist, and resist again and again... These words are deceivers

- 'interest, 'interested, 'interesting.

- be'ginning

- de'velop, de'veloped, de'veloping, de'velopment

- 'cath(o)lic ( exception à la règle 1a )

- under'stand ( préfixe 'under' non accentué )

- 'realise, 'analyse, 'organise.

That's it! You 'only' have to learn the rules... (and exceptions !) and to train a little in order to get the good reflexes... I hope they will come quickly. Believe me, word stresses really make a difference during exams or when hearing the presentation of projects, for instance...

Don't give up! Train again and again, it's worth it!

Intermediate Twitter Share
English exercise "Word Stress (2)" created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
Click here to see the current stats of this English test

Please log in to save your progress.

You should be careful as this test may contain the bases reviewed in the preceding lesson!

A) 'Actually' (en réalité)

B) 'Persuasion'

C) 'Electricity'

D) 'Understand'

E) 'Illuminate' (illuminer)

F) 'A question'

G) 'Philosophy'

H) 'To accommodate'

I) 'A toothbrush'

J) 'Good-hearted'

K) 'Beginning'

L) 'Developing'

M) 'Interesting'

N) 'Organise'

End of the free exercise to learn English: Word Stress (2)
A free English exercise to learn English.
Other English exercises on the same topic : Pronunciation | All our lessons and exercises