Multi-syllable Stress patterns

Words with two or more syllables have a stressed syllable. To be understood you have to learn which syllable to stress in each word. The word Eligible could sound like Illegible if you don't learn the stress patterns.

Read these words to a partner. Can they understand which you are reading?
Let me read them for you. Try to guess which word of each pair I am reading. Sound Silence
Sound Silence

  1. Dessert Icon
  2. Desert
  1. Eligible
  2. Illegible Icon
  1. except
  2. accept Icon
  1. breathe
  2. breath Icon
  3. breadth
  1. device Icon
  2. devise
  1. effect
  2. affect
  1. later
  2. latter Icon
  1. precede
  2. proceed Icon
  1. vociferous Icon
  2. voracious
  1. quiet
  2. quite Icon
  3. quit
  1. illusion Icon
  2. allusion
  1. clothes Icon
  2. cloths
  1. incite
  2. insight Icon
  1. precedenceIcon
  2. precedent
  1. gases
  2. guessesIcon

Two-syllable words that are stressed on the second syllable

Most words are stressed on the first syllable. Here are some two-syllable words, which are stressed on the second syllable. Check the page about the schwa sound for words such as away, ahead, ago ...

police Japan Machine Collide Marine

These are homophones. They sound the same.

its it's, presents presence, ...