Long word stress patterns
Allmost all two-syllable nouns and adjectives are stressed on the first syllable, but
most two-syllable verbs are stressed on the second syllable.
Sometimes the verb is spelt the same as the noun or adjective but
the pronunciation depends on whether the word is a verb or not.
Here are additional examples of words which
change from noun to verb because of the position of the stressed syllable.
If you accent the wrong syllable, you may not be understood.
Also notice that when a syllable changes stress the actual sound of the vowels often
change too.
The endings of most verbs are stressed.
For example articulate (verb) and articulate (adjective)
These examples are in alphabetical order and show this rule and exceptions to this rule
-
Abuse Irregular as the ending changes sound but not stress)
@computer @bag @yacht @boot @snake
is a noun. Eg:Staff abuse will not be tolerated.
@computer @bag @yacht @boot @zebra is a verb. Eg: Abusers will be procecuted.
I never expected that he would abuse the trust I placed in him.
-
Advocate
@cat @dog @vase @computer @key @train @tie
is a verb.
@cat @dog @vase @computer @key @computer @tie is a noun.
-
Approximate
rhyming with rate, is a verb
@computer @parrot @right @clock @key @snake @computer @monkey @train @tie is a verb.
@computer @parrot @right @clock @snake @computer @monkey @computer @tie is a noun.
-
Articulate
@car @tie @fish @key @yacht @boot @leg @train @tie is a verb.
@car @tie @fish @key @yacht @leg @tie is an adjective and a noun.
- Associate
@computer @snake @phone @snake @tree @train @tie is a verb.
@computer @snake @phone @snake @tree @computer @tie is a noun.
- Attribute
@computer @tie @right @fish @bag @yacht @boot @tie is a verb.
Eg:
This drawing has been attributed to picasso.
@cat @tie @right @fish @bag @yacht @boot @tie
is a noun.
Organizational ability is an essential attribute for a good manager.
- Bass
@bag @cat @snake is a type of fish
@bag @train @snake is the lower frequency sounds.
- Bow
@bag @phone
These can be used with a violin or for shooting arrows.
@bag @phone
An actor does after a performance. people used to do this to kings and queens.
- Close
@key @leg @phone @snake
with the S sounding like S in See, is an adjective.
@key @leg @phone @zebra
Close, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
- Combat
@key @clock @monkey @bag @cat @tie
The aircraft was shot down in combat.
@key @clock @monkey @bag @cat @tie
new measures to combat the rise in crime. These can sound the same
- Compound
Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.
Severe drought has compounded food shortages in the region.
- Compress
The course compresses two years' training into six months.
The doctor put a compress on the wound to stop it bleeding.
- Conduct
He was criticized for his conduct of the inquiry.
The water was conducted through the lead pipes
- Confines
He was confined to a prison cell for several days.
He was restricted to the confines of the camp.
- Conflict
The Government was in conflict with the unions over pay.
There were conflicting accounts of how the fight started.
- Conscript
During World War I, he was conscripted into the Russian army.
- Contract
The contract was binding.
He was contracted for three years.
After six months she was offered a contract of employment.
The steel contracts as it cools.
- Contrast
The contrast was stunning.
Her yellow skirt contrasted with her red shoes.
The little village was a total contrast to San Francisco.
When you contrast their work records, Julie is clearly more qualified.
- Converse
The converse is not often the case.
Conversing in a foreign language can be quite tiring.
In the uS, you drive on the right hand side of the road, but in Britain the converse applies.
She's so shy that conversing with her can be quite difficult.
- Convert
I'm a convert.
The cream was converted into butter.
You have to convert the temperature readings from Fahrenheit to Celsius.
I'm a recent convert to vegetarianism.
- Convict
I'm of the conviction that we should act immediately.
An escaped convict was caught by police after two days on the loose.
It was thought that he'd committed the crime but there wasn't sufficient evidence to convict him.
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court"
or "a person serving a sentence in prison"
- Decrease
prices are expected to decrease by less than 1 per cent this year.
profits were £1 million, which is a decrease of 5 per cent on last year
- Deliberate
rhyming with rate, is a verb
computer , is an adjective
- Does
rhyming with fuzz, is a verb
rhyming with rose, = female deer
- Dove
with the o of bone, is a verb, the past tense of dive
rhyming with love, = bird
- Duplicate
rhyming with rate, is a verb
, is an adjective and a noun
- Elaborate
rhyming with rate, is a verb
, is an adjective
- Escort
He arrived in court under police escort.
She escorted him to the front door.
- Excuse
Excuse, with the S sounding like S in See, is a noun.
Excuse, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
- Graduate
rhyming with rate, is a verb
, is a noun
- House
with the S sounding like S in See, is a noun.
House, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
- Live
with the i of hit, is a verb
with the i of five, is an adjective
- Moderate
rhyming with rate, is a verb
monkey,clock,dog,computer,right,computer,tie is an adjective.
- Object: I object your honour!
The object of this exercise is to learn English.
- polish
written with a capital p and the O sounding like O in bOne, is an adjective of nationality.
written with a small p and the O sounding like O in hOt, is a verb or a noun.
- produce: We produce the finest products in this area.
produce: Fresh produce is delivered every day.
- Rampage
- Rebel
The rebels took control of the government building.
Rebelling against the rules.
- Recap
- Recall
- Record: For the record, I'm not a suspect.
She records everything that happens to her in her diary.
- Refill
- Refund
- Refuse
- Reject
- Replay
- Separate
snake,egg,parrot,bird,right,train,tie is a verb, rhyming with rate.
snake,egg,parrot,bird,right,computer,tie is an adjective.
- Subject
- Suspect: I suspect that this conversation is being recorded.
police have issued a photograph of the suspect.
- Survey
He is the master of all he surveys
The survey was conducted by an independant company.
- Tear
rhyming with where, is a verb
rhyming with near, is a noun
- use
with the S sounding like S in See, is a noun.
use, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
- used
I used to smoke, with the S in used sounding like S in See, means "I smoked in the past. I don't now".
I used a hammer, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, means "I did something by means of a hammer".
- Wind
with the i of five, is a verb
with the i of hit, is a noun
- Wound
with au of found, (ah-oo) is a verb
with the oo of food, is a noun
Exceptions to te rule
- visit
- reply
- picture
- travel
- promise
Over half the army was composed of conscripts.
- Desert
We had to cross a large area of arid, featureless desert.
How many people desert from the army each year?
- Detail
Don't worry too much about the details.
Can you produce a report detailing what we've spent on the project so far?
- Discard
Remove the seeds from the melon and discard them.
The dealer may, if he accepts the proposal, change any or all of the cards in
his own hand Sometimes a second discard is allowed,
but that must be by previous agreement.
- Envelope
The proposal was no doubt drawn up on the back of an envelope
The graveyard looked ghostly, enveloped in mist.
- Exploit
We need to exploit every opportunity for media coverage.
Her amazing exploits include walking across Antarctica.
- Export
They are now manufacturing more goods for export.
Their flowers are exported around the world.
Since 1956 the uS has been Britain's largest export market.
- Extract
The pulp was crushed to extract the juice.
He read several extracts from his latest novel.
- Finance
He's now studying international banking and finance.
The scheme is being financed by the Arts Council.
- Fragment
The vase hit the wall and shattered into fragments.
After their European Cup success the team fragmented.
- Horrify
Some living conditions in the middle ages were really horrible.
That was a horrific accident.
- Impact
Her paper discusses the likely impact of global warming.
The failure of the transport system impacts daily on all our lives.
- Imprint
The button had left an imprint on my arm.
Dave had tried to imprint his personality on the office.
- Increase
Gradually increase the temperature to boiling point.
There were 39, 000 new cases last year - an increase of 7 per cent.
- Insert
I've filled in the form, but you still need to insert (= add) your bank details and date of birth.
These magazines have too many annoying inserts (= extra loose pages) advertising various products.
- Insult
The steelworkers' leader rejected the 2% pay-rise saying it was an insult to the profession.
You'll insult the chef if you don't at least taste the meal.
- Miraculous
That patient has made a miraculous recovery.
We can only prey for a miracle.
- permit
Economic circumstances don't permit much public spending.
The plane does not currently have a permit to carry livestock.
- prefix
In the word 'unimportant', 'un-' is a prefix.
To put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to
prefix a syllable to a word, or a condition to an agreement.
- present
To put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word,
or a condition to an agreement.
In the run-up to the elections he sought to present himself as a family man.
- proceeds
In the run-up to the elections he sought to present himself as a family man.
His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
- process
His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
- produce
She's asked me to produce a report on the state of the project.
Local people come to the market each day to sell their produce.
- progress
Technological progress has been so rapid over the last few years.
Whenever I talk to him we never seem to progress beyond the weather and holidays.
- project
Whenever I talk to him we never seem to progress beyond the weather and holidays.
The edges of the roof project outwards and keep the rain away from the walls.
- protest
Conservation groups have united in protest against the planned new road.
Conservation groups have united in protest against the planned new road.
- Rampage
Conservation groups have united in protest against the planned new road.
The demonstrators rampaged through the town, smashing windows and setting fire to cars.
- Rebel
He was a bit of a rebel when he was a teenager and dyed his hair pink.
He was a bit of a rebel when he was a teenager and dyed his hair pink.
- Recap
He was a bit of a rebel when he was a teenager and dyed his hair pink.
He was a bit of a rebel when he was a teenager and dyed his hair pink.
- Recall
He was a bit of a rebel when he was a teenager and dyed his hair pink.
Old people often have astonishing powers of recall.
- Refill
My pen seems to be running out of ink - I need a refill.
She had already refilled his glass five or six times.
- Refund
The holiday was cancelled so the travel agency had to refund everybody the price of the tickets.
You will receive a full refund if you cancel the holiday.
- Refuse
You will receive a full refund if you cancel the holiday.
Refuse is generally collected either
by manually picking up trash bags from individual households or
by mechanically emptying large community trash containers into trucks
equipped with compactors to maximize their capacities
- Reject
Local universities now reject as many as 15,000 students per year.
It's so cheap because it's a reject.
- Replay
The semi-final replay will be on Saturday.
The police replayed the video of the robbery in court.
- Subject
She has made a series of documentaries on the subject of family relationships.
All train times are subject to change in bad weather conditions.
- Survey
We are conducting a survey to find out what our customers think of their local bus service.
He got out of the car to survey the damage.
- Torment
He spent the night in torment, trying to decide what was the best thing to do.
It tormented me (= caused me to worry) all day - did I remember to lock the door when I left the house?
- Transfer
I'll be upstairs, so could you transfer my phone calls (= arrange that I can receive them) up there please?
The official transfer of ownership will take a few days to complete.
- Transplant
His body accepted the transplant.
His body accepted/rejected the transplant.
- Transport
The pipeline was constructed to transport oil across Alaska to ports on the coast.
The company will arrange transport from the airport.
- upset
I hadn't realized I'd upset him but apparently he was mortally offended.
How much upset will the new monitoring procedures cause?
- Absent
How many of them are absent without permission?
You cannot choose to absent yourself (from work/school) on a whim.
- Frequent
A frequent criticism of the proposal has been its high cost.
if you frequent a place, you go there regularly
- perfect
He is keen to perfect his golfing technique.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
the pERFECT TENSE
- Invalid
I'm afraid your driving licence is invalid in Eastern Europe.
He had been an invalid for many years.
Your ticket is invalid without the airline's official stamp.
- Minute
It takes me twenty minutes to get to work.
I've never seen a man with such tiny hands - they're minute!
- Complex
Don't go on about her weight - you'll give her a complex!
The company has a complex organizational structure.
- Close
with the S sounding like S in See, is an adjective.
I hate people standing too close to me.
Close, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
Close your eyes - I've got a surprise for you.
- Excuse
Excuse, with the S sounding like S in See, is a noun.
He'd better have a good excuse for being late.
Excuse, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
please excuse me for arriving late - the bus was delayed.
- House
with the S sounding like S in See, is a noun.
Try not to wake the whole house when you come in!
House, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
It will be difficult to house all the refugees.
- use
with the S sounding like S in See, is a noun.
Don't throw that cloth away, you'll find a use for it one day.
use, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, is a verb.
Your table manners are appalling - don't you know how to use a knife and fork?
- used
I used to smoke, with the S in used sounding like S in See, means
"I smoked in the past. I don't now".
I used a hammer, with the S sounding like Z in Zebra, means "I
did something by means of a hammer".
- Advocate
Advocate, rhyming with rate, is a verb
He advocates the return of capital punishment.
Advocate, is a noun
He's a strong advocate of state ownership of the railways.
- Approximate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
Student numbers this year are expected to approximate 5000
Approximate, is an adjective
The train's approximate time of arrival is 10.30.
- Articulate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
Articulate, , is an adjective and a noun
- Associate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
I found myself unable to articulate my feelings.
Associate, is an adjective and a noun
She gave a witty, entertaining and articulate speech.
- Bass
with the a of cat, is a type of fish
Bass is a type of fish found in rivers or the sea
Bass, with the a of face, means "with a low frequency tone"
He sings bass.
- Bow
With the o of bone, is used with a violin, also for shooting arrows
Bows were made by a craftsman called a bowyer.
Bow, rhyming with cow, is a verb - what an actor does after a
performance, what a dog does
Paul rose from his chair, bowed, and left the room.
- Deliberate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
The jury took five days to deliberate on the case.
@computer, is an adjective
We made a deliberate decision to live apart for a while.
- Does
Rhyming with fuzz, is a verb
My car only does about 60 mph, even when it's going flat out.
Rhyming with rose, = female deer
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
- Dove
With the o of bone, is a verb, the past tense of dive
When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
Rhyming with love, = bird
Dove is a white or grey bird, often used as a symbol of peace.
- Duplicate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
Can you duplicate this document for me?
@computer is an adjective and a noun
The thieves were equipped with duplicate keys to the safe.
I lost the original form so they sent me a duplicate.
- Elaborate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
The police refused to elaborate on the circumstances of the arrest.
@computer, is an adjective
The government's new healthcare plan is the most elaborate yet.
- Graduate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
Lorna graduated from the university of London.
@computer, is a noun
Chris is a physics graduate.
- Live
With the i of hit, is a verb
Can the right to live ever be denied to any human?
With the i of five, is an adjective
Millions of live animals are shipped around the world each year.
- Moderate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
The party is deeply divided between moderates and extremists.
Weather conditions have moderated, making a rescue attempt possible.
@computer, is an adjective
Cook the spinach over a moderate heat.
- polish
Written with a capital p and the O sounding like O in bOne, is an
adjective of nationality.
Polish is the language that people speak in poland
written with a small p and the O sounding like O in hOt, is a verb or
a noun.
This table needs a good polish.
It won't take the kids long to polish the cake off.
- Separate
Rhyming with rate, is a verb
The top and bottom sections are quite difficult to separate.
@computer, is an adjective
The art department and the main college are in two separate buildings.
- Tear
Rhyming with where, is a verb
You have to be very careful with books this old because the paper tends to tear very easily.
Rhyming with near, is a noun
I won't shed any tears when he goes, I can tell you!
- Wind
With the i of five, is a verb
I always forget to wind my watch.
With the i of hit, is a noun
The weather forecast warned of winds of up to 60-miles-an-hour today.
- Wound
With au of found, (ah-oo) is a verb
She wound the handle but nothing happened.
With the oo of food, is a noun
Bandage the wound to reduce the risk of infection.
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