Learn English Pronunciation: Syllable Stress

Syllable stress often has to be learned word by word. However, there are a few suffixes (word endings) which create dependable syllable stress.

* Podiatry and pediatric relate to different sciences, but follow the same pattern in terms of sound.

Stress before -tion or -sion

Another great tip on syllable stress is this: the vowel before -tion or -sion is almost always stressed. Practice with these words:

transition, position, condition, ambition, tradition, acquisition
decision, division, interruption, corruption
operation, demonstration, motivation, perspiration, vacation, operation, generation, multiplication, exclamation, creation, aviation, flirtation, indication, transportation, inspiration

Stress the vowel/syllable before -ity ending

ability, quality, tranquility, agility, personality, divinity, quantity, university, publicity

Back to Syllable Stress

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Stress before "logy," "graphy," sophy," "atry," "metry," and "tomy"	Stress the next syllable when the word form changes to an adjective
biology	biological
psychology	psychological
sociology	sociological
technology	technological
geography	geographical
photography	photographic
biography	biographical
philosophy	philosophical
psychiatry	psychiatric
podiatry*	pediatric
anatomy	anatomical
geometry	geometric