English word stress: rules, patterns and examples
Short answer: In an English word with more than one syllable, one syllable is stressed: it is longer, louder and higher in pitch, and the other syllables are short and weak. Most two-syllable nouns and adjectives are stressed on the first syllable (TAble), and many verbs on the second (beGIN). In longer words, the ending often decides: the syllable before -tion, -ic and -ity is stressed.
At a glance
| Pattern | Stress | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| two-syllable noun or adjective | first syllable | TAble, HAppy |
| two-syllable verb | second syllable | beGIN, reLAX |
| -tion, -sion | syllable before | eduCAtion, deCIsion |
| -ic, -ical, -ity | syllable before | ecoNOmic, poLItical, aBIlity |
| -ee, -eer | the ending | employEE, engiNEER |
What stress sounds like
- The stressed syllable is longer, louder and higher in pitch.
- The unstressed syllables are short and often have the weak vowel schwa /ə/.
- A dictionary marks the stress with ˈ before the stressed syllable: begin /bɪˈɡɪn/.
Quick patterns
- Nouns and adjectives: first syllable (DOCtor, SIMple).
- Verbs: often second syllable (deCIDE, reLAX).
- Noun and verb pairs: REcord (noun), reCORD (verb).
- Long words: look at the ending (-tion, -ic, -ity, -graphy).
Lessons
Practice stress step by step.
Stress changes meaning
In some word pairs, the stress tells you whether the word is a noun or a verb.
| Word | Noun | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| record | REcord | reCORD |
| present | PREsent | preSENT |
| permit | PERmit | perMIT |
Check yourself
- Where is the stress in “doctor”?
Show the answer
DOCtor: the first syllable. Two-syllable nouns usually take first-syllable stress.
- Where is the stress in “education”?
Show the answer
eduCAtion: before -tion. Words ending in -tion are stressed on the syllable before it.
- What does the schwa do in a weak syllable?
Show the answer
It makes the syllable short and soft. The unstressed vowel is reduced.
Questions
Why is stress important?
Listeners use stress to recognize words. A wrong stress pattern can make a familiar word hard to understand.
Are there rules for all words?
There are patterns, not rules. Check a dictionary when you are unsure.
How do I practice?
Say a word, clap on the stressed syllable and say the others quickly. Then record yourself if you can.
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30