Stress Placement on Two or more syllable words - SS2 English Lesson Note
Nouns, adjectives, and adverbs: In general, two-syllable nouns, adjectives, and adverbs are stressed on the first syllable. For example, "present" (noun), "precious" (adjective), and "precisely" (adverb).
Verbs: Two-syllable verbs are usually stressed on the second syllable. For example, "conduct" (verb), "produce" (verb), and "design" (verb).
Words that can be both nouns and verbs: Some words can be both nouns and verbs, and the stress placement changes depending on the part of speech. For example, the word "present" can be a noun or a verb. When it is a noun, the stress is on the first syllable (as in "a present"). When it is a verb, the stress is on the second syllable (as in "to present").
Other rules: There are a few other rules for stress placement on two or more syllable words. For example, if the second syllable contains a long vowel or diphthong, the stress is usually on the second syllable. And if the last syllable contains a long vowel or diphthong, the stress is usually on the last syllable.
It is important to note that these are just general rules, and there are always exceptions. The best way to learn how to stress two or more syllable words correctly is to listen to native speakers and practice saying the words yourself.
Some additional examples of stress placement on two or more syllable words:
- Nouns: important, development, confusion
- Adjectives: expensive, delightful, convincing
- Verbs: consider, decide, provide
- Words that can be both nouns and verbs: concentrate, import, develop