Correct Syllable Stress✅ Word Stress Rules That Will Help You to IMPROVE Your Pronunciation

Hello everyone. Today we’re going to talk about word stress 

in American English. This lesson is extremely important for you 

because it’s gonna help you speak clearly and improve your pronunciation. 

You will learn the correct syllable stress and the simple rules 

that you need to follow so that native speakers 

and other people can understand you very well. 

But before we get started, please subscribe to me youtube channel. 

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Sometimes when we make just a little pronunciation mistake, 

it can change the meaning of the whole sentence. When we put the wrong stress in the word, 

it can create some kind of confusion. If I say: 

It’s an Important lessOn where you can Enjoy some usefUl infOrmation. 

What? You  

definitely don’t understand what am I TRYING TO SAY. 

This is because I put the wrong syllable stress in all these words. 

It’s an important lesson where you can enjoy some useful information. 

But do you know what a syllable means? A syllable is a small unit, 

a part of the word that has only one vowel sound. 

Every word has one or more syllables. Syllables are stressed differently. 

Now I’m gonna give you some words and I want you to say 

how many syllables the word has. If we clap our hands every time 

we hear a vowel sound, we can count the number of syllables. 

orange CLAP orange 

two syllables state 

state There’s only one syllable in this word 

information in-for-ma-tion 

Here we have four syllables A lot of people think 

that they need to pronounce all the letters in the word clearly 

and emphasize each syllable because they want other people 

easily understand what they are trying to SAY. But this is not the case in American English. 

When we have the word and we break it down into syllables, 

then we can think about  which syllable is stressed. 

Stress is extremely important because some syllables are pronounced longer and louder, 

and some syllables are shorter and lower. 

So we have stressed syllables  and unstressed syllables. 

orange The first syllable is stressed. 

information The stress is on the third syllable. 

It’s not inforMAtion, it’s information. 

Why do we put the stress on  certain parts of the word? 

Let’s find out. Now we gonna learn 

the essential rules for word  stress in American English 

Rule 1 

In most two syllable-nouns stress is on the first syllable 

carrot number 

pencil problem 

You can repeat these words after me and train your tongue and 

this kind of speaking practice will help you to make the correct syllable stress. 

carrot number 

pencil problem 

Rule 2 Two syllable adjectives  

have the stress on the first syllable Not always, not all adjectives, 

but most adjectives. Let’s take a look at the examples 

funny easy 

simple friendly 

Let’s practice together funny 

easy simple 

friendly Rule 3 

Most two syllable verbs have the  stress on the Second syllable 

You know that most English  verbs have only ONE syllable 

for instance run, work, play, eat. But when we have the verbs with two syllables like 

admit refuse 

enjoy regret 

You should be able to hear the  stress on the second syllable. 

Let’s repeat. admit 

refuse enjoy 

regret But there’s  

always be exceptions, for example – open It’s a verb, but We have the stress on the  

first syllable. Rule 4 

There’re some words that  either can be a noun or a verb 

insult or insult So what do you think guys 

Which one is correct? If the word is a noun, 

the stress is gonna be on the first syllable 

if the word is a verb, the stress is on the second syllable. 

insult – insult I didn't know if it was a  

compliment or if it was an insult. I didn't know if it was a  

compliment or if it was an insult. Insult is a noun, and stress is on  

the first syllable - Insult This person insulted me. 

Insult is a verb, and stress is  on the second syllable - insulted 

present – present On the train home, she gave me a present 

A prEsent is a noun, the  stress is on the first syllable 

I'd like to present a perspective that  I think comes closest to the truth. 

I'd like to present a perspective that  I think comes closest to the truth. 

To present is a verb, so the  second syllable is stressed. 

presEnt The same for the words 

import – import increase – increase 

record -record NOW LET’S REPEAT ALL THESE WORDS TOGETHER 

insult – insult present – present 

import – import increase – increase 

record -record This rule is extremely important, 

because so many students  find these words confusing. 

Because they have the same spelling but they are pronounced differently. 

Rule 5 Words that end 

-tion and -sion the stress is on the syllable that  

goes before the last syllable. information 

exception decision 

commission description 

communication You can see that the stress is on the vowel sound 

that is before the last syllable. let’s read these words together. 

information exception 

decision commission 

description communication 

GREAT! These rules will help you to speak clearly 

and put the correct syllable  stress in English words. 

Let me know in the comments if you want me to make  

the second part of the lesson about word stress in the sentence. 

That’s it for today. Thank you for watching, guys. 

If you benefit from watching my videos and enjoy learning American English with me, 

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and I’ll see you later! Bye!