WORD STRESS /W3 ː D//STRES/ It is the long, loud and most evident syllable in the Word.

Non-native speakers who speak English to native speakers without using word stress, encounter two problems:  They find it difficult to understand native speakers, especially those speaking fast.  The native speakers may find it difficult to understand them.

Fluent speakers of English listen for the STRESSED syllables, not the weak syllables. If you use word stress in your speech, you will instantly and automatically improve your pronunciation and your comprehension

 Try to hear the stress in individual words each time you listen to English on the radio, or in films for example. Your first step is to HEAR and recognise it. After that, you can USE it!

One word, one stress. One word cannot have two stresses. So if you hear two stresses, you have heard two words, not one word. However we have examples like this one, / ˈɑː ft ə ˈ nu ː n/ Afternoon

TWO SYLLABLE WORDS (NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES)  RADIO / ˈ re ɪ di ˌ o ʊ / HANDSOME / ˈ hæns ə m/  COUPLE / ˈ k ʌ p ə l/ PLEASANT / ˈ pl ɛ z ə nt/  BODY / ˈ b ɑ di/ FUNNY / ˈ f ʌ ni/  NOTEBOOK / ˈ no ʊ t ˌ b ʊ k/ CURLY / ˈ k ɜː l ɪ /

TWO SYLLABLE VERBS ARE STRESSE IN THE LAST SYLLABLE Control /k ə n ˈ tr ə ʊ l/ Present /pr ɪˈ zent/ Display /d ɪˈ sple ɪ / Amaze / ə ˈ me ɪ z/

STRESS ON PENULTIMATE SYLLABLE (WORDS ENDING IN –IC, -SION, AND -TION)  Graphic / ˈ græf ɪ k/ nation / ˈ ne ɪʃ ə n/ división /d ɪˈ v ɪʒ ə n/  Traffic / ˈ træf ɪ k/ action / ˈ æk ʃ ə n/ diversion /da ɪˈ v3 ːʃ ə n/  Terrific /t ə ˈ r ɪ f ɪ k/ motion / ˈ m ə ʊʃ ə n/ discussion /d ɪ s ˈ k ʌʃ ə n/  alcoholic / ˌ ælk ə ˈ h ɒ l ɪ k friction / ˈ fr ɪ k ʃ ə n/ conversión /k ə n ˈ v3 ːʃ ə n/

STRESS ON ANTE-PENULTIMATE SYLLABLE Words ending in -cy, -ty, -phy, –gy and -al democracy /d ɪˈ m ɒ kr ə s ɪ / dependability /d ɪˌ pend ə ˈ b ɪ l ɪ t ɪ photography /f ə ˈ t ɒ gr ə f ɪ / geology /d ʒ i ˈɑ l ə d ʒ i/ critical, / ˈ kr ɪ t ɪ k ə l/ geological /d ʒɪ ə ʊˈ l ɒ d ʒɪ k ə l/