Sometimes the stress in a word may change. This usually happens when there is a content word1 after it or near it. This can happen with the following categories of words, but only when the word is stressed on the final syllable in the citation form2.
1Content words are words with real meaning like nouns and verbs (e.g. glass, tree, eat, move). In contrast, function words are words with grammatical meaning like pronouns and prepositions (e.g. he, it, under, at)
2The citation form is the pronunciation of a word when said in isolation. This is form that you see in dictionaries. Sometimes the pronunciation of the word may change in spoken speech – like we will see in the stress shift examples below:
EXAMPLE SENTENCE When I was four’teen… I want nine’teen of them. She’s Chi’nese Let’s meet in the after’noon. The pictures are on’line. well-’known He’s well-’known. over’priced It’s really over’priced. under’stand I don’t under’stand. over’take get ‘in work ‘out ADVERBS AND PREPOSITIONS in’side ABBREVIATIONS U’K BB’C Let’s over’take him. When will you get ‘in? I can’t work it ‘out. It’s in’side. under’neath It’s under’neath. I work in the U’K. She likes the BB’C.
STRESS SHIFT There were ‘fourteen ‘people. I want ‘nineteen ‘copies. Let’s go to a ‘Chinese ‘restaurant. I went for afternoon ’tea. It’s an ’online ’shop. He’s a ’well-known ’author. It’s an ’overpriced ’piece of e’quipment. I ’understand the ’theory. Let’s ’overtake his ’car. When will you ’get in from ’work? I can’t ’work the ’time out. It’s ’inside the ’house. It’s ’underneath the ’table. It’s a ’UK ’company. He watches ’BBC ’One.
Why does this happen?
English doesn’t like two stressed syllables near each other. For this reason, the stress moves to an earlier part of the word.
