Definition of Stress

 

Definition of Stress

Stress is the relative emphasis or prominence given to a certain syllable in a word (word stress) or to a certain word in a sentence (sentence stress). A stressed syllable is pronounced with greater force, higher pitch, and longer duration than unstressed syllables.

In phonetic transcription, stress is marked by a superscript vertical line /ˈ/ before the stressed syllable, and a lower vertical line /ˌ/ for secondary stress.

Example:

record (noun) → /ˈrek.ɔːd/ (stress on first syllable)

record (verb) → /rɪˈkɔːd/ (stress on second syllable)

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Characteristics of a Stressed Syllable

Feature	Effect
Loudness	Greater intensity
Pitch	Higher tone
Length	Longer vowel sound
Clarity	Full vowel (never reduced to schwa /ə/)

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Examples of Word Stress in English

1. Two-syllable words

Word	Stress Pattern	Transcription
TAble	1st syllable	/ˈteɪ.bəl/
beGIN	2nd syllable	/bɪˈɡɪn/
PENcil	1st syllable	/ˈpen.səl/
toDAY	2nd syllable	/təˈdeɪ/

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2. Three-syllable words

Word	Stress Pattern	Transcription
FAmily	1st syllable	/ˈfæ.mə.li/
comPUter	2nd syllable	/kəmˈpjuː.tər/
engiNEER	3rd syllable	/ˌen.dʒɪˈnɪər/

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3. Words where stress changes meaning (important for IOE)

Word	Noun (stress 1st)	Verb (stress 2nd)
CONduct	/ˈkɒn.dʌkt/ (behavior)	/kənˈdʌkt/ (to lead)
PREsent	/ˈprez.ənt/ (gift)	/prɪˈzent/ (to show)
REbel	/ˈreb.əl/ (insurgent)	/rɪˈbel/ (to revolt)
OBject	/ˈɒb.dʒɪkt/ (thing)	/əbˈdʒekt/ (to oppose)

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Sentence Stress

In a sentence, content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs) are usually stressed, while function words (prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs, conjunctions) are unstressed.

Example:

I LOVE to EAT APples.
Stressed words: love, eat, apples
Unstressed: I, to

Another example:

She has GONE to the MARket.
Stressed: gone, market
Unstressed: she, has, to, the

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Common IOE Exam Questions on Stress

Q1. Which syllable is stressed in the word photography?
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) 3rd
D) 4th

Answer: B (phoTOgraphy → /fəˈtɒ.ɡrə.fi/)

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Q2. In which word does stress fall on the first syllable?
A) about
B) decide
C) mountain
D) below

Answer: C (MOUNtain)

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Q3. The word record as a verb is stressed on the:
A) First syllable
B) Second syllable
C) Both equally
D) Last syllable

Answer: B (reCORD)

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Quick Tips for IOE

• Nouns & adjectives often stress the first syllable.
  TAble, HAPpy, BEAuty
• Verbs & prepositions often stress the second syllable.
  beCOME, beLOW, reCEIVE
• Suffixes like -tion, -ic, -ity pull stress to the syllable before them.
  eduCAtion, aTOMic, aBILity
• Schwa /ə/ never appears in a stressed syllable — if you see /ə/, that syllable is unstressed.

100 Practice Questions for IOE (English Section)

Phonemes, Monophthongs, Diphthongs, Stress, and General Phonology

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Phonemes (1–25)

1.      What is a phoneme?
A) A written letter
B) The smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning
C) A syllable
D) A whole word

Answer: B

2.      How many phonemes are in the word cat?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Answer: B (/k/ /æ/ /t/)

3.      Which word has 4 phonemes?
A) fish
B) tree
C) frog
D) ship

Answer: C (/f/ /r/ /ɒ/ /g/)

4.      The word shape has how many phonemes?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: B (/ʃ/ /eɪ/ /p/)

5.      Which pair differs by exactly one phoneme?
A) cat / bat
B) light / night
C) ship / sheep
D) All of the above

Answer: D

6.      The phoneme /ð/ is found in:
A) thin
B) this
C) thumb
D) think

Answer: B

7.      How many phonemes in sing?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Answer: B (/s/ /ɪ/ /ŋ/)

8.      The word box has how many phonemes?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: B (/b/ /ɒ/ /k/ /s/)

9.      Which is a minimal pair?
A) pin / spin
B) cat / bat
C) light / lite
D) thought / taught

Answer: B

10. The sound /ʒ/ appears in:
A) shoe
B) measure
C) shine
D) cheese

Answer: B

11. How many phonemes in church?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: A (/tʃ/ /ɜː/ /tʃ/)

12. Phonemes are transcribed using:
A) Square brackets [ ]
B) Slashes / /
C) Parentheses ( )
D) Angle brackets < >

Answer: B

13. The word through has how many phonemes?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: A (/θ/ /r/ /uː/)

14. Which sound is NOT a phoneme in standard English?
A) /θ/
B) /x/
C) /ð/
D) /ʃ/

Answer: B

15. How many phonemes in twelfth?
A) 5
B) 6
C) 7
D) 8

Answer: B (/t/ /w/ /e/ /l/ /f/ /θ/)

16. The difference between ship and sheep is:
A) One consonant
B) One vowel phoneme (/ɪ/ vs /iː/)
C) Two phonemes
D) Stress pattern

Answer: B

17. How many phonemes in pitch?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: A (/p/ /ɪ/ /tʃ/)

18. Which contains a voiced fricative?
A) thin
B) this
C) ship
D) chip

Answer: B (/ð/)

19. The word asked has how many phonemes?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: B (/ɑː/ /s/ /k/ /t/)

20. Which ends with a voiced consonant?
A) cat
B) dog
C) back
D) leaf

Answer: B (/g/)

21. How many phonemes in texts?
A) 4
B) 5
C) 6
D) 7

Answer: C (/t/ /e/ /k/ /s/ /t/ /s/)

22. The word judge has how many phonemes?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Answer: B (/dʒ/ /ʌ/ /dʒ/)

23. Which is a fricative?
A) /t/
B) /f/
C) /b/
D) /m/

Answer: B

24. How many phonemes in springs?
A) 4
B) 5
C) 6
D) 7

Answer: C (/s/ /p/ /r/ /ɪ/ /ŋ/ /z/)

25. The phoneme /θ/ is:
A) Voiced dental fricative
B) Voiceless dental fricative
C) Voiced alveolar fricative
D) Voiceless palatal fricative

Answer: B

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Monophthongs (26–50)

26. How many monophthongs in standard English (RP)?
A) 8
B) 10
C) 12
D) 14

Answer: C

27. Which word contains /iː/?
A) sit
B) seat
C) set
D) sat

Answer: B

28. The vowel in cup is:
A) /æ/
B) /ʌ/
C) /ɑː/
D) /ʊ/

Answer: B

29. Which word has /ɔː/?
A) hot
B) horse
C) hut
D) hate

Answer: B

30. The sound /ʊ/ appears in:
A) food
B) foot
C) fate
D) fit

Answer: B

31. Which is a back open monophthong?
A) /iː/
B) /uː/
C) /ɑː/
D) /e/

Answer: C

32. The vowel in bed is:
A) /e/
B) /æ/
C) /ə/
D) /ɪ/

Answer: A

33. Which word contains /ɜː/?
A) bird
B) bread
C) broad
D) bud

Answer: A

34. The monophthong /æ/ is in:
A) father
B) cat
C) car
D) care

Answer: B

35. Which vowel is central?
A) /iː/
B) /uː/
C) /ə/
D) /æ/

Answer: C

36. The word thought contains:
A) /ɒ/
B) /ɔː/
C) /əʊ/
D) /ɑː/

Answer: B

37. Which pair has the same monophthong?
A) put – cut
B) caught – cot
C) see – sea
D) hit – heat

Answer: C (/iː/)

38. Schwa /ə/ is found in:
A) the (unstressed)
B) sofa
C) banana (second syllable)
D) All of the above

Answer: D

39. Which word contains /ɒ/?
A) cloth
B) clothe
C) cloud
D) clawed

Answer: A

40. How many short monophthongs?
A) 4
B) 5
C) 6
D) 7

Answer: C (/ɪ, e, æ, ʌ, ɒ, ʊ/)

41. The vowel in boot is:
A) /ʊ/
B) /uː/
C) /ɔː/
D) /əʊ/

Answer: B

42. Which is a tense vowel?
A) /ɪ/
B) /æ/
C) /iː/
D) /ʊ/

Answer: C

43. The vowel in hot (RP) is:
A) /ɑː/
B) /ɒ/
C) /ɔː/
D) /ʌ/

Answer: B

44. Which word has /ʌ/?
A) put
B) but
C) boot
D) beat

Answer: B

45. The vowel in bird is:
A) /ɜː/
B) /ə/
C) /ʌ/
D) /ɪ/

Answer: A

46. How many long monophthongs?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6

Answer: C (/iː, ɜː, uː, ɔː, ɑː/)

47. Which contains /æ/?
A) bat
B) bait
C) boot
D) but

Answer: A

48. The vowel in about (first syllable) is:
A) /æ/
B) /ʌ/
C) /ə/
D) /aʊ/

Answer: C

49. Which is a front monophthong?
A) /uː/
B) /iː/
C) /ɒ/
D) /ʌ/

Answer: B

50. The sound /ɔː/ is:
A) Mid back rounded
B) High front unrounded
C) Low back rounded
D) Mid central unrounded

Answer: A

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Diphthongs (51–75)

51. How many diphthongs in RP?
A) 5
B) 6
C) 8
D) 10

Answer: C

52. Which word contains /eɪ/?
A) cat
B) cake
C) cot
D) cut

Answer: B

53. The sound /aɪ/ is in:
A) cow
B) boy
C) bite
D) boat

Answer: C

54. Which diphthong is in house?
A) /eɪ/
B) /aʊ/
C) /ɔɪ/
D) /əʊ/

Answer: B

55. The word toy contains:
A) /aɪ/
B) /aʊ/
C) /ɔɪ/
D) /oʊ/

Answer: C

56. Which word ends with /əʊ/?
A) now
B) no
C) nor
D) nigh

Answer: B

57. The diphthong /ɪə/ appears in:
A) near
B) neigh
C) noir
D) nurse

Answer: A

58. Which contains /eə/?
A) hair
B) here
C) hire
D) hoard

Answer: A

59. The sound /ʊə/ is in:
A) poor
B) pure
C) power
D) paw

Answer: A

60. Closing diphthongs:
A) 3
B) 5
C) 6
D) 8

Answer: B

61. Which word has a diphthong?
A) goat
B) got
C) gut
D) gate

Answer: A

62. Beat contains:
A) True monophthong /iː/
B) False
C) Only British English diphthong
D) Only American English diphthong

Answer: A

63. Centering diphthong:
A) play
B) fear
C) boy
D) cow

Answer: B

64. Tour contains:
A) /ɔː/
B) /ʊə/
C) /uːə/
D) /əʊ/

Answer: B

65. /aʊ/ is:
A) Rising
B) Closing
C) Centering
D) Fronting

Answer: B

66. Which word begins with diphthong?
A) egg
B) ate
C) it
D) at

Answer: B

67. NOT a diphthong:
A) /eə/
B) /əʊ/
C) /ɜː/
D) /aɪ/

Answer: C

68. Here contains:
A) Closing
B) Centering
C) Opening
D) Rising

Answer: B

69. No diphthong:
A) say
B) so
C) saw
D) sigh

Answer: C

70. /eɪ/ is:
A) Centering
B) Closing
C) Opening
D) Short

Answer: B

71. Centering diphthongs:
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Answer: B

72. /aʊ/ in:
A) boat
B) bought
C) bout
D) boot

Answer: C

73. Bay contains:
A) /eɪ/
B) /aɪ/
C) /ɔɪ/
D) /əʊ/

Answer: A

74. Triphthong example:
A) /aɪə/
B) /eɪ/
C) /aʊ/
D) /ɔɪ/

Answer: A

75. Total vowels (RP):
A) 16
B) 18
C) 20
D) 22

Answer: C

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Stress (76–100)

76. Word stress means:
A) Equal pronunciation
B) Emphasis on syllable
C) Removing vowels
D) Writing letters

Answer: B

77. Record (noun) stress:
A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) None

Answer: A

78. Record (verb) stress:
A) First
B) Second
C) Third
D) None

Answer: B

79. Photography stress:
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) 3rd
D) 4th

Answer: B

80. Stress on first syllable:
A) about
B) decide
C) mountain
D) below

Answer: C

81. Stress on second syllable:
A) happy
B) begin
C) father
D) river

Answer: B

82. Suffix affecting stress:
A) -ing
B) -tion
C) -less
D) -ful

Answer: B

83. Engineer stress:
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) 3rd
D) 4th

Answer: C

84. Stressed words in sentence:
A) articles
B) prepositions
C) content words
D) auxiliaries

Answer: C

85. Unstressed word:
A) cat
B) run
C) the
D) beautiful

Answer: C

86. Present (noun):
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) both
D) none

Answer: A

87. Present (verb):
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) both
D) none

Answer: B

88. Stress changes meaning:
A) cat/bat
B) desert/desert
C) ship/sheep
D) thin/this

Answer: B

89. Comfortable stress:
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) 3rd
D) 4th

Answer: A

90. Secondary stress symbol:
A) /ˈ/
B) /ˌ/
C) /:/
D) /ə/

Answer: B

91. Education stress:
A) ˌe.duˈca.tion
B) eduCAtion
C) EDUcation
D) none

Answer: A

92. Refuse (verb):
A) First
B) Second
C) Both
D) None

Answer: B

93. Happiness stress:
A) hap
B) pi
C) ness
D) none

Answer: A

94. Stress on third syllable:
A) understand
B) computer
C) beautiful
D) yesterday

Answer: A

95. Content words:
A) short
B) meaning
C) first
D) schwa

Answer: B

96. Stressed word in sentence:
A) I
B) will
C) call
D) you

Answer: C

97. First syllable stress:
A) between
B) below
C) beauty
D) because

Answer: C

98. Democracy stress:
A) 1st
B) 2nd
C) 3rd
D) 4th

Answer: B

99. Two-syllable verbs stress:
A) first
B) second
C) both
D) none

Answer: B

100.                     Purpose of stress:
A) spelling
B) meaning + rhythm
C) letters
D) removal

Answer: B