Stress and word meaning

Contents

• Word Stress and American English Accent
• 1. Change from noun to verb, same general meaning
• 2. Change from noun to verb or noun to adjective, different meaning

Word Stress and American English Accent

Word stress is your magic key to understanding spoken English. Native speakers of English use word stress naturally. Word stress is so natural for them that they don't even know they use it. Non-native speakers who speak English to native speakers without using word stress, encounter two problems:

1. They find it difficult to understand native speakers, especially those speaking fast.
2. The native speakers may find it difficult to understand them.

This page shows the way in which the meaning of a word can change if you stress a different syllable. This change only happens with a few, specific words, many of which are listed here — it doesn’t apply to all words in the English language. Most of the words are two syllables long — there are just a few examples with three syllables.

The examples fall into two categories:

Those which keep the same general meaning, but which change from noun to verb when the stress moves from the first to the second syllable.

Those which change their meaning completely — most of them change from noun to verb, but a few change to an adjective.

1. Change from noun to verb, same general meaning:

addict	ADD-ict	Rob is a crack cocaine ADD-ict. (Rob is a person who uses crack cocaine and cannot stop doing it)
	add-ICT	If you keep playing that game, you will get add-ICT-ed to it! (you will become an addict)

conflict	CON-flict	The two friends were in CON-flict. (didn’t agree about something)
	con-FLICT	Your two accounts of what happened con-FLICT. (your stories don’t agree with each other)

contest	CON-test	He is taking part in a boxing CON-test. (a fighting competition)
	con-TEST	I’m sorry, I have to con-TEST your figures. (I can’t agree with your figures)

contrast	CON-trast	There’s quite a CON-trast between their political views. (a big difference)
	con-TRAST	I will compare and con-TRAST these two poems. (show the differences between them)

convert	CON-vert	He is a CON-vert to Buddhism. (he has changed his religion)
	con-VERT	I’m sorry, you will never con-VERT me. (you will never persuade me to change my beliefs/opinions)

decrease	DE-crease	There has been a DE-crease in sales recently. (we have sold less than usual)
	de-CREASE	We need to de-CREASE the number of children in the class to make it more effective.

import	IM-port	Coffee is an IM-port from Brazil. (coffee is brought here from Brazil)
	im-PORT	We would like to im-PORT more coffee over the next few years.

increase	IN-crease	There has been an IN-crease in accidents recently. (there have been more accidents)
	in-CREASE	We need to in-CREASE our sales figures. (sell more)

insult	IN-sult	What she said felt like an IN-sult. (she said something bad)
	in-SULT	Please don’t in-SULT me(don’t say bad things to me)

perfect	PER-fect	Your homework is PER-fect. (it has no mistakes in it)
	per-FECT	We need to per-FECT our design before we can put this new product on the market. (we need to improve it)

permit	PER-mit	Do you have a PER-mit to drive this lorry?. (document giving permission)
	per-MIT	Will you per-MIT me to park my car in front of your house? (allow me)

pervert	PER-vert	Niharika is a PER-vert. (she has strange sexual preferences)
	per-VERT	The man was arrested on a charge of attempting to per-VERT the course of justice. (interfering with the proper workings of the legal process)

present	PRES-ent	She gave me a nice PRES-ent on my birthday.(gift)
	pre-SENT	Allow me to pres-ENT my friend, David. (introduce)

produce	PRO-duce	They sell all kinds of PRO-duce at the market. (fruit and vegetables)
	pro-DUCE	How did the magician manage to pro-DUCE a rabbit from his top hat? (bring out)

protest	PRO-test	There was a political PRO-test going on in the street. (demonstration)
	pro-TEST	I had to pro-TEST about the dirty state of the kitchen. (complain)

recall	RE-call	The actor was given a RE-call. (called back, invited for a second audition)
	re-CALL	I can’t re-CALL the first time I rode a bicycle. (remember)

record	RE-cord	She always keeps a RE-cord of what she spends every month. (note)
	re-CORD	It’s important to re-CORD how much you spend every month. (make a note of)

reject	RE-ject	The item in this box is a RE-ject. (not good enough to sell)
	re-JECT	We have decided to re-JECT the building proposal as it would have cost too much money. (turn down, say no to)

suspect	SUS-pect	The police interviewed the SUS-pect for five hours, but then let him go. (someone they thought might have committed a crime)
	sus-PECT	I sus-PECT that tree will have to be cut down, before it falls and causes some damage. (have a feeling, think, imagine)

2. Change from noun to verb or noun to adjective, different meaning:

address	AD-dress	Do you know Valen’s AD-dress? (where she lives)
	ad-DRESS	You do not have permission to ad-DRESS President Harkonnen! (to speak to him directly)

attribute	AT-trib-ute	Dishonesty is a common ATT-rib-ute of politicians. (a trait/characteristic)
	at-TRIB-ute	That quote is at-TRIB-u-ted to Winston Churchill. (considered to be first said/created by him)

conduct	CON-duct	We aren’t happy about your general CON-duct. (the way you’re behaving)
	con-DUCT	I was asked to con-DUCT the orchestra at short notice. (coordinate a musical performance by waving a baton)

console	CON-sole	I spend too much time at my computer CON-sole. (screen and controls)
	con-SOLE	She was so unhappy, I was unable to con-SOLE her. (make her feel better)

content	CON-tent	The CON-tent of your essay is fine, but you need to rearrange the structure. (what it contains)
	con-TENT (adj.)	She was sitting reading a book, looking very con-TENT. (relaxed, peaceful)

converse	CON-verse	Do you think firm A is more successful than firm B? I think the CON-verse is true. (opposite)
	con-VERSE	He can con-VERSE in three different languages. (have conversations)

default	DE-fault	The DE-fault settings of that TV are bad, but you can configure it differently. (the settings it comes with it when you get it)
	de-FAULT	Jon de-FAULT-ed on his loan payments. (he did not make the required payments)

desert	DES-ert	The army marched through the DES-ert. (eg Sahara)
	des-ERT	I wouldn’t advise you to des-ERT the army, as it will get you into trouble. (leave without permission)

entrance	EN-trance	The EN-trance to the building was locked. (way in)
	en-TRANCE	Are you trying to en-TRANCE me? (hypnotise me, put me into a trance)

exploit	EX-ploit	He’s always talking about some EX-ploit from his war years. (exciting experience, adventure)
	ex-PLOIT	Some companies ex-PLOIT their staff by expecting them to work overtime for no extra pay. (take advantage of)

extract	EX-tract	She read me an EX-tract from her new novel. (short section)
	ex-TRACT	The dentist says he needs to ex-TRACT one of my teeth. (remove, pull out, take out)

invalid	IN-val-id	After his accident he was an IN-val-id for nearly a year, but he’s ok again now. (was disabled, had mobility problems)
	in-VAL-id (adj.)	I’m sorry, your passport is in-VAL-id, as it expired two months ago. (can’t be used)

object	OB-ject	What is that OB-ject over there? (thing)
	ob-JECT	Would anyone ob-JECT if I opened a window? (complain)

project	PRO-ject	This PRO-ject should be completed next month. (piece of work)
	pro-JECT	We could pro-JECT the film onto that blank wall. (show, display)

refuse	REF-use	We have our REF-use collected on a Thursday. (rubbish, garbage)
	re-FUSE	Chocolate cake? How can I re-FUSE! (say no)

subject	SUB-ject	What is the SUB-ject of today’s lesson? (topic)
	sub-JECT	Oh dear, our teacher is going to sub-JECT us to another test. (impose on us, make us endure)