Syllables and Word Stress

Syllables

fantastic
fan-tas-tic
publish
pub-lish
particular
par-tic-u-lar
piano
pi-an-o
personnel
per-son-nel
understanding
un-der-stand-ing
reunion
re-u-nion
radiator
ra-di-a-tor
volcano
vol-ca-no
vocabulary
vo-cab-u-lar-y
appreciate
ap-pre-ci-ate
populate
pop-u-late
portfolio
port-fo-li-o
radio
ra-di-o
activity
ac-tiv-i-ty

Intro Syllabic Stress

per so nal
per son nel
to tal ly
to tal i ty
in dus try
in dus tri al
fan tas tic
fan ta sy
com mon
re peat
to ma to
a va ca do
no is i ly
gi ant
pic ture
hea ting
to day
a head
a llow
en er gy
op e rate
or ga nize
me mor i al
a ssump tion
in ven tion
em plo yee
jap a nese
vol un teer
psy chol o gy
e vap o rate
cer ti fi cate
po li ti cian
ind i vi du al
rep u ta tion

Exercise. Listen to the teacher (or audio)

Listen for the number of syllables:
Listen again to the above. Which syllable is the stressed.
Listen again to the above. Do you hear a schwa?

Section C - Syllabic Pronunciation Practice, part 1

(TOEFL, TOEIC level words)

Adjective | Noun

listed by syllabic patterns

civil
civility
equal
equality
fertile
fertility
final
finality
general
generality
hospital
hospitality
legal
legality
mobile
mobility
national
nationality
neutral
neutrality
personal
personality
real
reality
stable
stability
sterile
sterility

Verb | Noun (-tion)

civilize
civilization
equalize
equalization
fertilize
fertilization
finalize
finalization
generalize
generalization
hospitalize
hospitalization
legalize
legalization
mobilize
mobilization
nationalize
nationalization
neutralize
neutralization
personalize
personalization
realize
realization
stabilize
stabilization
sterilize
sterilization

Section C - Syllabic Pronunciation Practice, part 2

continued

listed by word family

(TOEFL, TOEIC level words)

civil
  • civility
  • civilize
  • civilization
equal
  • equality
  • equalize
  • equalization
fertile
  • fertility
  • fertilize
  • fertilization
final
  • finality
  • finalize
  • finalization
general
  • generality
  • generalize
  • generalization
hospital
  • hospitality
  • hospitalize
  • hospitalization
legal
  • legality
  • legalize
  • legalization
mobile
  • mobility
  • mobilize
  • mobilization
national
  • nationality
  • nationalize
  • nationalization
neutral
  • neutrality
  • neutralize
  • neutralization
personal
  • personality
  • personalize
  • personalization
real
  • reality
  • realize
  • realization
stable
  • stability
  • stabilize
  • stabilization
sterile
  • sterility
  • sterilize
  • sterilization

Section D - Nouns vs. Verbs

The stress is placed on the first syllable of a noun and the second syllable of a verb (usually with a ə in the first syllable).
conflict
conflict
contract
contract
defect
defect
digest
digest
export
export
extract
extract
import
import
object
object
permit
permit
protest
protest
present
present
produce
produce
project
project
record
record
refuse
refuse

Special Considerations for alternate pronunciations

noun/adj vs. verb

advocate
  • AD-və-kət (noun/adj)
  • AD-və-keɪt (verb)
appropriate
  • ə-PRO-pri-ət (adj)
  • ə-PRO-pri-eɪt (verb)
approximate
  • ə-PROK-sə-mət (adj)
  • ə-PROK-sə-meɪt (verb)
associate
  • ə-SO-si-ət (noun/adj)
  • ə-SO-si-eɪt (verb)
degenerate
  • di-JEN-ər-ət (adj)
  • di-JEN-ə-reɪt (verb)
delegate
  • DEL-ə-gət (noun)
  • DEL-ə-geɪt (verb)
deliberate
  • di-LIB-ər-ət (adj)
  • di-LIB-ə-reɪt (verb)
duplicate
  • DU-pli-kət (noun/adj)
  • DU-pli-keɪt (verb)
elaborate
  • i-LAB-ər-ət (adj)
  • i-LAB-ə-reɪt (verb)
estimate
  • ES-tə-mət (noun)
  • ES-tə-meɪt (verb)
graduate
  • GRAD-u-ət (noun)
  • GRAD-u-eɪt (verb)
moderate
  • MOD-ər-ət (adj)
  • MOD-ə-reɪt (verb)
subordinate
  • sə-BOR-di-nət (noun/adj)
  • sə-BOR-di-neɪt (verb)

Note the ending sound of the followin words.

noun/adj vs. verb

advocate
  • AD-və-kət (noun/adj)
  • AD-və-keɪt (verb)
appropriate
  • ə-PRO-pri-ət (adj)
  • ə-PRO-pri-eɪt (verb)
approximate
  • ə-PROK-sə-mət (adj)
  • ə-PROK-sə-meɪt (verb)
associate
  • ə-SO-si-ət (noun/adj)
  • ə-SO-si-eɪt (verb)
degenerate
  • di-JEN-ər-ət (adj)
  • di-JEN-ə-reɪt (verb)
delegate
  • DEL-ə-gət (noun)
  • DEL-ə-geɪt (verb)
deliberate
  • di-LIB-ər-ət (adj)
  • di-LIB-ə-reɪt (verb)
duplicate
  • DU-pli-kət (noun/adj)
  • DU-pli-keɪt (verb)
elaborate
  • i-LAB-ər-ət (adj)
  • i-LAB-ə-reɪt (verb)
estimate
  • ES-tə-mət (noun)
  • ES-tə-meɪt (verb)
graduate
  • GRAD-u-ət (noun)
  • GRAD-u-eɪt (verb)
moderate
  • MOD-ər-ət (adj)
  • MOD-ə-reɪt (verb)
subordinate
  • sə-BOR-di-nət (noun/adj)
  • sə-BOR-di-neɪt (verb)

Exercise for Special Considerations

Listen to the teacher (or audio) and repeat

noun/adj vs. verb

advocate
advocate
appropriate
appropriate
approximate
approximate
associate
associate
degenerate
degenerate
delegate
delegate
deliberate (adj)
deliberate
duplicate
duplicate
elaborate (adj)
elaborate
estimate
estimate
graduate
graduate
moderate (adj)
moderate
subordinate
subordinate

Section E: Extended Practice on Word-Families

with differentiating stress patterns

Some word-families carry the same syllabic stress across all its members. For example:

  • manufacturer | manufacturing | manufacturable
  • efficient | efficiency | efficiently

However, this is not the case with many word families.

Word-families with differentiating stress

  • industry | industrial
  • economy | economic
  • fantasy | fantastic
  • particle | particular
  • photograph | photography | photographic
  • history | historic
  • democracy | democratic
  • politics | political | politician
  • symbol | symbolic
  • athlete | athletic
  • strategy | strategic
  • academy | academic
  • technology | technological
  • biology | biological | biologist
  • analyze | analysis | analytic
  • energy | energetic
  • metal | metallic
  • irony | ironic
  • harmony | harmonic | harmonious
  • origin | original | originality
  • major | majority
  • minor | minority
  • habit | habitual
  • geometry | geometric
  • astronomy | astronomical
  • philosophy | philosophical
  • psychology | psychological
  • molecule | molecular
  • carbon | carbonation
  • electron | electronic
  • mechanics | mechanical
  • physics | physical | physician
  • statistic | statistician
  • method | methodology | methodological
  • theory | theoretical | theoretician
  • numeral | numeric | numerical
  • magnet | magnetic
  • microscope | microscopic
  • technical | technique | technician
  • configure | configuration
  • access | accessible | accessibility
  • product | production | productivity
  • operate | operation
  • industry | industrial
  • machine | machinery
  • engineer | engineering
  • system | systemic | systematic
  • analyze | analysis | analytic
  • maintain | maintenance | maintainability
  • mechanic | mechanism
  • rotate | rotation
  • engine | engineer
  • metal | metallic