Listening for Word Stress (AmE)

Audio for Word Stress

Audio by Barry, LibriVox.org

00:03:21

TYPICAL PATTERNS of STRESS

One-syllable words

cat, lake, road, pain, owl, chair;

fall, burn, touch, choose, write, hear;

new, large, bright, short, loud, sick.

Two-syllable words

Nouns:

a) TEACHer, LESson, OFfice, CITy, PRESent;

b) caREER, poLICE, hoTEL.

Adjectives:

a) LOCal, NATive, CAREless;

b) abSURD, comPLETE.

Verbs:

a) conFIRM, deNY, exPLAIN, forGET, preSENT;

b) CANcel, BORrow, PUNish.

Three-syllable words

Nouns:

a) CONfidence, GOVernment, POLitics;

b) apPROVal, conSUMer, eMOtion.

Adjectives:

a) GENeral, WONderful, CURious;

b) athLETic, inSTINCtive.

Verbs:

a) 'ORga'nize, 'SIGni'fy, 'COMpen'sate;

b) conSIDer, reMEMber;

c) 'under'STAND, 'contra'DICT.

Four or more syllables

Nouns:

a) ACcuracy, DELicacy;

b) moBILity, inTOLerance;

c) 'eco'NOMics, 'infor'MAtion;

d) con'side'RAtion, in'vesti'GAtion.

Adjectives:

a) sigNIFicant, unREAsonable;

b) 'aca'DEMic, 'inter'NAtional.

Verbs:

a'POLo'gize, in'TENsi'fy, ac'CUmu'late.

(See Word Stress in the section Phonetics.)