AM I CAUSING YOU STRESS?

Is word stress causing you STRESS? Well, in that case, let me help you by sharing with you this very simple lesson on WORD STRESS.


I. STRESSED or NOT? Determine which syllable contains the major stress in each word.

1. in-teg-ral
2. au-then-tic
3. mu-se-um
4. an-ces-tral
5. ma-yon-naise
6. in-te-res-ting
7. se-ven-teen
8. su-pers-ti-tious
9. ar-gue
10. con-do-lence

II. What is WORD STRESS?

STRESS refers to the amount of force with which a syllable is said. ACCENT is the stress on one syllable over others in a plurisyllable; other names for accent are syllable stress and word stress.

III. How do I determine the accent?

In determining word stress/accent, consider the following:

1. Monosyllablic words have no accent.

e.g. stress calm choose
where meant rest

2. Every word taken alone, that is, not in a sentence, always has a primary stress.

3. The primary stress is used to differentiate a noun from a verb if the word can be used as a noun or as a verb.

e.g. NOUN VERB
SUBject subject
CONtract contract
REcord record
REbel rebel

4. Usually, the primary stress is placed on the vowel and not on the consonant because the vowels are more sonorous than the consonants.

5. a. Number words ending in –teen are stressed on that syllable.

e.g. sixTEEN fifTEEN sevenTEEN

5.b. Number words ending in –ty or –ieth are stressed on the first syllable.

e.g. TWENty SIXtieth FORty

6. Compound nouns have a primary stress on the first component, a secondary stress on the second component.

e.g. ANThill CAMPfire DUSTpan

7. Compound verbs have a primary stress on the second component and a secondary stress on the first component.

e.g. overCOME outDO outSHINE

8. Intensive-reflexive pronouns are stressed on the second syllable.

e.g. mySELF themSELVES itSELF

9. Words ending with the suffix –tion, -sion, -ic, -ical, -ity have a primary accent on the syllable preceding the suffix.

e.g. associAtion conFESsion economic
philoSOphical CHArity reliaBIlity


SOURCE: To More Effective Speech Communication