Word Stress Inter 2nd Year English Grammar

For systematic learning, students can include AP Inter 2nd Year English Grammar with Answers and Word Stress in English Inter 1st Year in their daily study routine.

AP Inter 2nd Year English Word Stress with Answers

Syllable and Stress:

Introduction :
A syllable is a group of one or more sounds with the vowel sound as its essential part. Words are made of one or more syllables.

Ex :

1. Objection (Ob. jec. tion) Three syllables. (Tri syllabic word)
2. Intelligence (In.te.lii.gence) 4 syllables. (Tetra syllabic word)
3. Light (One syllable). (Mono syllabic word)

Stress :
In a word, some syllables are pronounced with greater force than others. The syllable which is pronounced with greater force is said to be stressed or accented.

Stress is marked in a word by putting a small vertical bar before the syllable.
Ex : ‘artist’, ‘doctor’, ‘forget’, ‘to’day.

Division of syllables :

A syllable is the smallest unit of speech. Vowels and consonants combine in the structure of a syllable. Syllables are divided into four kinds.
They are :

1. Mono syllabic words.
2. Di syllabic words.
3. Tri syllabic words.
4. Poly syllabic words.

Rules of Word Stress:

1. One-syllable words
All one-syllable words are stressed.
Examples cat, dog, book, play, go
Explanation: No choice here – the only syllable takes the stress.

2. Two-syllable nouns → stress on the first syllable
Examples: TA-ble, WIN-dow, PEN-cil, DOC-tor
Explanation: Nouns usually carry meaning in the first syllable.

3. Two-syllable adjectives → stress on the first syllable
Examples: HAP-py, CLE-ver, QUI-et
Explanation: Adjectives behave like nouns – stress normally comes first.

4. Two-syllable verbs → stress on the second syllable
Examples: to re-LAX, to be-GIN, to de-CIDE
Explanation: Verbs usually carry stress at the end, to show action.

5. Nouh-verb stress Ahiff {saifte spelling, different meaning)

• Noun → stress on the first syllable
• Verb → stress on the second syllable

Examples: RE-cord (noun) vs. to re-CORD (verb)
PRE-sent (noun) vs. to pre-SENT (verb)
Explanation: Stress helps show meaning difference.

6. Compound nouns → stress on the first part
Examples: POST-man, FOOT-ball, BLACK-board
Explanation: The main idea comes first, the type second.

7. Compound adjectives → stress on the second part
Examples: bad-TEM-pered, old-FASH-ioned, well-KNOWN
Explanation: Stress falls where the description is strongest.

8. Compound verbs stress on the second part
Examples: to under-STAND, to over-COME, to out-DO
Explanation: The main action sits in the second syllable.

9. Words ending in → stress the syllable before
Examples: geo-GRAPH-ic, dra-MAT-ic, eco-NOM-ic
Explanation: -ic endings push stress backward one syllable.

10. Words ending in -sion / -tion → stress the syllable before
Examples: re-LAX-ation, tele-VI-sion, de-CIS-ion
Explanation: These endings shift stress to the syllable before them.

11. Words ending in -ity → stress falls on third syllable from the end
Examples: e-lec-TRI-ci-ty, re-spon-si-BI-li-ty, sim-PL-ci-ty
Explanation: The stress usually goes two syllables before the end.

12. Words ending in -graphy → stress third syllable from the end
Examples: pho-TO-gra-phy, bi-O-gra-phy, ge-O-gra-phy
Explanation: Stress jumps back three places.

13. Words ending in -logy → stress third syllable from the end
Examples: bi-O-lo-gy, psy-CHO-lo-gy, tech-NO-lo-gy
Explanation: Same rule as -gra-phy.

14. Words ending in -ee → stress at syllable
Examples: em-ploy-EE, re-fu-GEE, gua-ran-ti-EE
Explanation: The -ee syllable always gets stressed.

15. Words ending in -eer → stress on -eer
Examples: en-gin-EER, vo-lunt-EER, moun-taine-ER
Explanation: Like -ee, the -eer syllable carries stress.

16. Words ending in- ese → stress on -ese
Examples: Ja-pan-ESE, Por-tu-gal-ESE
Explanation: Nationalities with -ese take stress at the end.

17. Words ending in -ique → stress on -ique
Examples: crit-IQUE, un-IQUE, an-TIQUE
Explanation: The -ique syllable always takes stress.

18. Prefixes are usually unstressed
Examples: UN-ha-ppy, RE-write, IM-po-ssi-ble
Explanation. The stress falls later in the word, not on the prefix.

Practice

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Exercise

Question 1.
Mark the stress to the following words :

Answers: