Accent pronunciation

1. Concepts

To be easily accessible how to accent, first we need to learn about two concepts: “rhythm" and "stress”.

1.1. Rhythm

A “syllable” is a unit of sound, which can be made up of a vowel sound or by the combination of a vowel sound with one or more consonants. But in any case, the prerequisite for forming a syllable is still having a vowel sound.

However, in some cases, if the vowel sound is a weak vowel /ə/, it can also be omitted. We will learn about these cases in a separate article.

For example:

• ant – /ænt/: The word ‘ant’ – “ant” has only one syllable. This syllable is a combination of the vowel /æ/ and two consonants /n/ and /t/.

• employee – /ˌem.plɔɪˈiː/: The word ‘employee’ – “employee” has 3 syllables. /em/, /plɔɪ/ and /iː/.

 Note:

• Syllable has a close relationship with English accent rules. Therefore, to be able to apply these rules accurately and effectively, first of all, we need to accurately determine the number of syllables and distinguish the syllables in a word.

• And the easiest way to do this is when learning a new word, instead of just looking at the letters and guessing how to read it (this method also often has a high probability of being correct in terms of syllables but is not 100% guaranteed, you should only (apply when encountering new words in the exam room), use electronic and online dictionaries such as Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, etc. to listen to the pronunciation and read along.

1.2. Stress

• In words with more than one syllable, “stress” is pronounced louder, clearer, higher or longer. The speaker/reader will put more force on this sound.

  The word has no stress because it has only one syllable, so no matter how much force we use when pronouncing this syllable, there is no syllable left in the word to compare and accentuate it. .

Symbol English accent: Accent is represented by a super comma (‘). If the symbol (‘) precedes a syllable, the stress will fall on that syllable.

For example:

• generation /ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn/ (generation). In it we see the sign (ˈ) comes before the sound /reɪ/. This means that the stress of this word will be on the syllable /reɪ/.

2. Rules

2.1. How to stress words with 2 syllables

- How to stress words with 2 syllables

- 2 -syllable verbs ⟶ The stress usually falls on the 2nd syllable.

For example:

• agreeˈɡriː/ - Agree

• convince – /kˈvɪns/ - convince

• decide – /dɪˈsaɪd/ - decision

• invite – /ɪnˈvaɪt/ - invite

• provide – /preˈvaɪd/ - provide

• refuse – /rɪˈfjuːz/ - refuse

• repeat – /rɪˈpiːt/ - repeat

Note: There are also some exceptions to the rule of stressing two-syllable verbs on the first syllable.

For example:

• answer – /ˈænsər/ – answer

• enter – /ˈentər/ – go into (somewhere)

• follow – /ˈfɑːləʊ/ – follow (someone/…)

- Nouns with 2 syllables ⟶ The stress usually falls on the 1st syllable.

For example:

• answer – /ˈænsər/ – answer/answer

• mirror – /ˈmɪrər/ – mirror

• ocean – /ˈəʊʃn/ – ocean

• river – /ˈrɪvər/ – river

• summer – /ˈsʌmər/ – it is

• theater – /ˈθiːətər/ – cinema/theater

• widow – /wɪdəʊ/ – widow

Note: There are also some exceptions where the rule of stress in two-syllable nouns is on the second syllable.

For example:

• police – /paˈliːs/ - police

• guitar – /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ - guitar

• device – /dɪˈvaɪs/ - device

- Adjectives with 2 syllables ⟶ Accentoftenfalls on syllable number 1.

For example:

• angry – /ˈæŋɡri/ – angry

• heavy – /ˈhevi/ – heavy

• lousy – /ˈlaʊzi/ – very bad

• bossy – /ˈbɔːsi/ – overbearing

• nervous – /ˈnɜːrvəs/ – worry

• crooked – /ˈkrʊkɪd/ – crooked/crooked/dishonest

• simple – /ˈsɪmpl/ – simple

Note: There are also some exceptions where the rule of stress in two-syllable adjectives is on the second syllable. For example:

• mature – /mˈtʃʊr/ - mature

• alone –ˈləʊn/ - alone

- Adjectives, nouns and verbs whose syllables contain one of the long vowel sounds (/ɑː/, /ɔː/, /ɜː/, /iː/ and /uː/) ⟶ Stress falls on that syllable ( usually the second syllable).

• discard – /dɪˈskɑːrd/ – (v.) remove

• decor – /deɪˈkɔːr/ – (n.) interior decoration style

• deserve – /dɪˈzɜːrv/ – (v.) worthy

• receive – /rɪˈsiːv/ – (v.) to receive

• improve – /ɪmˈpruːv/ – (v.) improve

2.2. How to stress words with 3 or more syllables

- Verb

For verbs with 3 or more syllables, the stress will fall on the first syllable if the third syllable contains a diphthong or ends with 2 or more consonants.

For example:

• exercise – /ˈeksoundaɪz/ - do exercise
• analyze – /ˈænoaɪz/ – analysis

The stress falls on the second syllable if the third syllable has a short vowel.

For example:

• deliver – /dɪˈlɪvər/ – deliver
• encounter – /ɪnˈkaʊntər/- to experience something (especially bad/unpleasant/…)

- Noun

In a noun with 3 or more syllables, if the second syllable contains the weak vowel /ə/ or /ɪ/, the stress will fall on the first syllable.

For example:

• family – /getmali/ – family
• pharmacy – /ˈfɑːrmasi/ – pharmacy
• resident – /ˈrezɪdant/ – residents

If the noun has the first syllable containing the weak vowel /ə/ or /i/ or the second syllable of the word contains a long vowel/diphthong, the stress falls on the second syllable.

For example:

• concealer – /kanˈsiːlər/ – makeup foundation
• reviewer – /rɪˈvjuːər/ – a person who reviews/reviews products/goods/etc.
• computer – /kamˈpjuːtər/ – computer

- Adjective

In adjectives with 3 or more syllables, if the first syllable contains the weak vowel /ə/ or /i/, the stress falls on the second syllable.

For example:

• retarded – /rɪˈtɑːrdɪd/ – retarded (intellectual)

• considerate – /kanˈsɪdərət/ – thoughtful/thoughtful of others

If the last syllable contains the weak vowel /ə/ or /i/ and the second syllable contains a long vowel or diphthong, the stress falls on the second syllable.

For example:

• annoying – /əˈnɔɪɪŋ/ – offensive

2.3. Words containing suffixes (suffix)

We can also guess the stress of a word when it contains a number of suffixes (elements at the end of a specific word. These suffixes will be divided into separate groups and each group will have an emphasis rule. private sound.

- Words containing one of the suffixes – ic, – ish, – ical, – sion, – tion, – ance, – ence, – idle, – ious, – ience, – eous, – ian, – ity, – logy, -graphy, -nomy.

⟶ The stress falls on the syllable that precedes the syllable(s) corresponding to that suffix or containing the pronunciation of that suffix.

For example:

Suffixes	For example
-ic	historic/hɪˈstɔːr.ɪk/
-ish	historic/hɪˈstɔːr.ɪk/
-ical	historical/hɪˈstɒr.ɪ.kəl/
-sion	vision/ˈvɪʒ.ən/
-tion	tradition/trəˈdɪʃ.ən/
-ance	appearance/əˈpɪr.əns/
-ence	independence/ˌɪn.dɪˈpen.dəns/
-idle	edible/ˈed.ə.bəl/
-ious	envious/ˈen.vi.əs/
-ience	convenience/kənˈviː.ni.əns/
-ous	gorgeous/ˈɡɔːr.dʒəs/
-ian	Italian/ɪˈtæl.jən/
-ity	nationality/ˌnæʃˈnæl.ə.t̬i/
-logy	psychology/saɪˈkɑː.lə.dʒi/
-graphy	geography/dʒiˈɑː.ɡrə.fi/
-nomy	astronomy/əˈstrɑː.nə.mi/

- Words containing one of the suffixes -ee, -eer, -ese, -ique, -esque

⟶ The stress falls on the syllable corresponding to that suffix.

For example:

Suffixes	For example
- of	interviewee /ˌɪn.tə.vjuˈiː/
-eer	pioneer /ˌpaɪ.ə.ˈnɪr/
-that	Taiwanese /ˌtaɪ.wəˈniːz/
-ic	technique /tekˈniːk/
-esque	picturesque /ˌpɪktʃəˈresk/

- Words created by adding the suffixes -ment, -ship, -ness, -er/ or, -hood, -ing, -en, -ful, -able, -ous, -less, -ly, -ist, -ism into the root word.

⟶ The stress position remains the same as in the original word.

For example:

Suffixes	For example
-ment	employ ⟶ employment /ɪmˈplɔɪ/ ⟶  /ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/
-ship	relation ⟶ relationship /rɪˈleɪ.ʃən/ ⟶ /rɪˈleɪ.ʃən.ʃɪp/
-ness	empty ⟶ emptiness /ˈemp.ti/ ⟶ /ˈemp.ti.nəs/
-is	sing ⟶ singer /sɪŋ/ ⟶ /ˈsɪŋ.ər/
-or	distribute⟶ distributor /dɪˈstrɪb.juːt/ ⟶ /dɪˈstrɪb.jə.tər/
-hood	adult ⟶ adulthood /əˈdʌlt/ ⟶ /əˈdʌlt.hʊd/
-ing	swim ⟶ swimming /swɪm/ ⟶ /ˈswɪm.ɪŋ/
-in	wide ⟶ widen /waɪd/ ⟶ /ˈwaɪ.dən/
-ful	beauty ⟶ beautiful /ˈbjuː.ti/ ⟶ /ˈbjuː.t̬ə.fəl/
-able	adore ⟶ adorable /əˈdɔːr/ ⟶ /əˈdɔːr.ə.bel/
-ous	fame ⟶ famous /feɪm/  /ˈfeɪ.məs/
-less	meaning ⟶ meaningless /ˈmiː.nɪŋ/ ⟶ /ˈmiː.nɪŋ.ləs/
-ly	violent ⟶ violently /ˈvaɪə.lənt/ ⟶ /ˈvaɪə.lənt.li/
-is	perfection ⟶ perfectionist /pəˈfek.ʃən/ ⟶ /pəˈfek.ʃən.ɪst/
-ism	human ⟶ humanism /ˈhjuː.mən/ ⟶ /ˈhjuː.mə.nɪ.zəm/

2.4. Words containing prefixes

When a word is prefixed to create a new word, the stress mark remains in the same position as in the original word.

Table of examples of some common prefixes:

(Actually, there are some other prefixes)

For example:

Suffixes	For example
dis-	agree ⟶ disagree /əˈɡriː/⟶ /ˌdɪs.əˈɡriː/
in-	active ⟶ inactive /ˈæk.tɪv/⟶  /ɪnˈæk.tɪv/
and-	employment ⟶ unemployment /ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/ ⟶  /ˌʌn.ɪmˈplɔɪ.mənt/
im-	possible ⟶ impossible /ˈpɑː.sə.bəl/ ⟶ /ɪmˈpɑː.sə.bəl/
and-	responsible ⟶ irresponsible /rɪˈspɑːn.sə.bəl/ ⟶  /ˌɪr.əˈspɑːn.sə.bəl/
mis-	understand ⟶ misunderstand /ˌʌn.dəˈstænd/ ⟶ /ˌmɪs.ʌn.dəˈstænd/
under-	water ⟶ underwater /ˈwɔː.tər/ ⟶  /ˌʌn.dəˈwɔː.tər/
over-	come ⟶ overcome /kʌm/ ⟶ /ˌəʊ.vəˈkʌm/
il-	legal ⟶ illegal /ˈliː.ɡəl/ ⟶  /ɪˈliː.ɡəl/
of-	form ⟶ deform /fɔːrm/ ⟶ /dɪˈfɔːrm/

2.5. Words that are similar but have different accents

– There are words that are similar but have different meanings and pronunciations, especially different stresses, so the way to stress them is also different. These cases are often noun-verb pairs with 2 syllables. The verb will usually have the stress on syllable number 2, while, with the same word, the noun will have the stress on syllable number 1.

For example:

• Word: ‘export’

Verb meaning: “export” ⟶ Pronunciation: /ɪkˈspɔːt/

Noun meaning: “the act/the export” ⟶ Pronunciation: /ˈek.spɔːrt/

• Word: ‘record’

Verb meaning: “save information/data/achievements/…” ⟶ Pronunciation: /rɪˈkɔːd/

Noun meaning: “a record of information/data/achievements/…” ⟶ Pronunciation: /ˈrek.ɔːd/