To pronounce English words correctly and clearly you have to understand Word Stress (Syllable Stress), or how some syllables stand out and receive more emphasis than others. In Part 3 of this American accent training series on Word Stress we dive into how to know WHICH syllable is stressed in English words. Be sure to grab your Heteronyms Practice PDF!

Key Takeaways:

  1. Syllable stress does not follow consistent patterns in English.
  2. Train your ears to identify the emphasized syllables when you listen to native speakers. Use a dictionary to check stress patterns.
  3. In general, with 2 syllable nouns the first syllable is stressed while with 2 syllable verbs, the second syllable is stressed.

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