500 Common Words: Syllable Stress
A syllable is a sound unit in a word or one beat. For instance, you can clap your hands one time when saying “June” and four times when saying “January.” June has one syllable. January has four syllables.
Most of the common words have stress on the 1st syllable. The words on the list below have the stress on the 2nd syllable. Remember that when you stress a sound, you also take the stress away from the other parts of the word. For instance, “computer” sounds like “cumPYUdr.” The stressed syllables are in capital letters.
| About = uBOUt | Before = beeFOR or buFOR | Computer = cumPYUdr | Direct = drRECT | Perhaps = prHAPS |
| Above = uBUV | Began = beeGAN or buGAN | Contain = cunTAIN | Enough = eeNUF or eNUF | Remember = reeMEMbr or ruMEMbr |
| Again = uGEN | Begin = beeGIN or buGIN | Correct = crRECT | Example = egZAMpul (x sounds like “gz”) | Together = tuGEthr |
| Ago = uGO | Behind = beeHIND or buHIND | Decide = deeSIDE or duSIDE | Important = imPORnt or imPORtunt | Until = unTIL |
| Among = uMUNG | Between = beeTWEEN or buTWEEN | Deliver = deeLIvr or duLIvr | Forgotten = forGOn or frGOtun | |
| Appear = uPEER | Complete= cumPLEEt | Develop = deeVElup or duVElup | Machine = MuSHEEN |
* a small “t” at the end indicates a stopped T or small T sound.
* when E is the second letter and not stressed, it often reduces to the short “u” as in “up.”
* “er,” “ir” and “ur” have the same sound.
* “u” indicates the “u” sound as in “up.” A long U as in “flute” is spelled as “oo.”
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