IOE Entrance Exam Word Stress notes + rules + practice set, kept exactly in structured exam-preparation format.

📖 Word Stress for IOE Entrance Exam

The Institute of Engineering (IOE) entrance exam in Nepal includes English as a subject, and Word Stress is explicitly listed in the syllabus under Phonetics. You are typically asked to identify which word has a different stress pattern from the others.

📖 What is Word Stress?

Word stress means giving greater emphasis or force to a particular syllable in a word when pronouncing it.

In English, stressed syllables are pronounced:

Louder
Longer
Higher in pitch

For example, in the word record as a noun, the stress is on the first syllable: REcord. As a verb, it shifts to the second: reCORD.

📋 Key Rules for Word Stress (with Examples)

🔹 Two-Syllable Words

Part of Speech	Stress Position	Examples
Nouns & Adjectives	First syllable	PRESent, HAppy, CARton, SAMples
Verbs & Prepositions	Second syllable	preSENT, reLAX, aMONG, beTWEEN

⚠️ Important: Some words change stress depending on usage:

REcord (noun) vs reCORD (verb)
PERmit (noun) vs perMIT (verb)

🔹 Three or More Syllables (Suffix Rules)

Suffix	Stress Pattern	Examples
-ic / -ical	Syllable before suffix	phoTOgraphic, LOgical
-ion / -tion	Syllable before suffix	classifiCAtion, repoSItion
-ity	Syllable before suffix	imMUnity, GRAvity
-graphy / -logy	First syllable of suffix	phoTOgraphy, biOlogy
-ee / -ese / -ique	Stress on suffix	employEE, JapanESE, unIQUE

🔹 Words with Specific Endings

✔ “-ion”, “-ic”, “-ious”

Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable

con-DI-tion
pho-to-GRA-phic
har-MO-nious

✔ “-ial”, “-ian”

Stress on the second-to-last syllable

co-LO-nial
op-TI-cian

✔ “-ify”, “-ity”, “-ate”

Stress on the third-to-last syllable

CLA-ri-fy
vi-CI-ni-ty
E-du-cate

🔹 Compound Words & Phrasal Verbs

Type	Stress Position	Examples
Compound Nouns	First word	SEAfood, TOOTHpaste, AIRplane
Compound Adjectives	Second word	ten-MEter, rock-SOLid
Phrasal Verbs	Preposition (second part)	break DOWN, black OUT

📝 Practice Questions with Options and Answers

Question 1

A. polite
B. entrance
C. attempt
D. agree

Answer: B. entrance

Explanation:

polite (po-LITE): second syllable
entrance (EN-trance): first syllable (noun)
attempt (at-TEMPT): second syllable
agree (a-GREE): second syllable

✔ Rule: Two-syllable nouns usually stress first syllable.

Question 2

A. colonial
B. condition
C. corona
D. clarify

Answer: D. clarify

Explanation:

colonial (co-LO-nial): -ial rule
condition (con-DI-tion): -ion rule
corona (co-RO-na): second syllable
clarify (CLA-ri-fy): -ify rule (3rd-to-last stress)

Question 3

A. beautiful
B. terrific
C. wonderful
D. marvelous

Answer: B. terrific

Explanation:

beautiful (BEAU-ti-ful): first syllable
terrific (ter-RI-fic): -ic rule
wonderful (WON-der-ful): first syllable
marvelous (MAR-ve-lous): first syllable

Question 4

A. limestone
B. restore
C. preserve
D. promote

Answer: A. limestone

Explanation:

limestone (LIME-stone): compound noun → first syllable
restore / preserve / promote: verbs → second syllable stress

Question 5

A. degree
B. manage
C. formal
D. master

Answer: A. degree

Explanation:

degree (de-GREE): second syllable
manage (MAN-age): first syllable
formal (FOR-mal): first syllable
master (MAS-ter): first syllable

Question 6

A. photograph
B. photography
C. photographic
D. photographer

Answer: A. photograph

Explanation:

photograph: PHO-to-graph (first syllable)
photography: pho-TO-gra-phy
photographic: pho-to-GRA-phic
photographer: pho-TO-gra-pher

✔ Stress shifts in word families.

Question 7

A. vocational
B. institution
C. academic
D. independent

Answer: A. vocational

Explanation:

vocational: vo-CA-tion-al
institution: in-sti-TU-tion
academic: a-ca-DE-mic
independent: in-de-PEN-dent

Question 8

A. diploma
B. motivated
C. apprentice
D. historic

Answer: B. motivated

Explanation:

diploma (di-PLO-ma)
motivated (MO-ti-va-ted)
apprentice (ap-PREN-tice)
historic (his-TO-ric)

✔ Only “motivated” has first syllable stress.

🎯 Set 2: Stress Pattern Identification

Question 9

"He took a photograph of me."

A. PHOtograph
B. phoTOgraph
C. photoGRAph
D. photograPH

Answer: A. PHOtograph

✔ Noun → first syllable stress

Question 10

"Serena Williams is a picture of concentration on the court."

A. CONcentration
B. conCENtration
C. concenTRAtion
D. concentraTION

Answer: B. conCENtration

✔ -tion rule → stress before “-tion”

🎯 Quick Reference Cheat Sheet for IOE Exam

Word Ending	Stress Rule	Example
-ic / -ical	Before suffix	graphic, logical
-ion / -tion	Before suffix	condition, nation
-ity	Before suffix	gravity, ability
-ify	3rd from last	clarify, satisfy
-ate (verb)	3rd from last	educate
-ee / -ese	suffix itself	employee
Compound nouns	First word	toothpaste
Two-syllable nouns	First syllable	record (noun)
Two-syllable verbs	Second syllable	record (verb)

💡 Exam Tips for IOE

Listen for the loudest syllable in your mind
Always check suffix endings first
Identify part of speech (noun/verb)
Compare patterns instead of guessing
Practice word families (photograph → photography → photographic)

IOE English Practice Questions (1–50)

🟢 Synonyms (Questions 1–10)

1. The view from the mountaintop was breathtaking.

A) Boring
B) Awesome
C) Artificial
D) Dull
Answer: B) Awesome
Reason: Breathtaking means extremely beautiful or amazing.

2. His speech was very concise.

A) Lengthy
B) Confusing
C) Brief
D) Loud
Answer: C) Brief
Reason: Concise means short and clear.

3. She felt melancholy after watching the sad film.

A) Joyful
B) Angry
C) Sad
D) Energetic
Answer: C) Sad
Reason: Melancholy means deep sadness.

4. The river water was turbid after the storm.

A) Clear
B) Muddy
C) Sweet
D) Frozen
Answer: B) Muddy
Reason: Turbid means cloudy or unclear.

5. He gave a lucid explanation of the theory.

A) Confusing
B) Brilliant
C) Clear
D) Vague
Answer: C) Clear
Reason: Lucid means easy to understand.

6. Her comment was quite mundane.

A) Ordinary
B) Exciting
C) Rare
D) Strange
Answer: A) Ordinary
Reason: Mundane means common or normal.

7. The warrior was known for his valor.

A) Cowardice
B) Strength
C) Bravery
D) Trickery
Answer: C) Bravery
Reason: Valor means courage.

8. They tried to mitigate the damage.

A) Increase
B) Reduce
C) Ignore
D) Celebrate
Answer: B) Reduce
Reason: Mitigate means lessen severity.

9. The old castle had an ominous look.

A) Threatening
B) Cheerful
C) Beautiful
D) Tiny
Answer: A) Threatening
Reason: Ominous means dangerous or scary.

10. Her kindness was genuine.

A) Fake
B) Real
C) Hidden
D) Forced
Answer: B) Real
Reason: Genuine means authentic.

🔴 Antonyms (Questions 11–20)

11. Artificial intelligence is advancing fast. Opposite of artificial?

A) Fake
B) Natural
C) Synthetic
D) Man-made
Answer: B) Natural
Reason: Artificial means man-made.

12. He was very humble despite his success. Opposite?

A) Proud
B) Kind
C) Gentle
D) Simple
Answer: A) Proud
Reason: Humble means modest.

13. The team suffered a minor loss. Opposite?

A) Small
B) Major
C) Slight
D) Tiny
Answer: B) Major

14. The road was narrow. Opposite?

A) Wide
B) Short
C) Long
D) Crooked
Answer: A) Wide

15. The soup was cold. Opposite?

A) Warm
B) Hot
C) Cool
D) Frozen
Answer: B) Hot

16. His actions were voluntary. Opposite?

A) Willing
B) Intentional
C) Forced
D) Free
Answer: C) Forced

17. She spoke softly. Opposite?

A) Loudly
B) Quietly
C) Gently
D) Slowly
Answer: A) Loudly

18. The answer was incorrect. Opposite?

A) Wrong
B) Right
C) False
D) Misleading
Answer: B) Right

19. He was optimistic about the future. Opposite?

A) Hopeful
B) Cheerful
C) Pessimistic
D) Confident
Answer: C) Pessimistic

20. The test was simple. Opposite?

A) Easy
B) Complex
C) Clear
D) Plain
Answer: B) Complex

🟡 Analogies (Questions 21–30)

21. FINGER : HAND :: PETAL : ?

A) Tree
B) Flower
C) Leaf
D) Stem
Answer: B) Flower

22. DOCTOR : HOSPITAL :: TEACHER : ?

A) School
B) Student
C) Book
D) Class
Answer: A) School

23. PAINT : ARTIST :: CHISEL : ?

A) Painter
B) Musician
C) Sculptor
D) Writer
Answer: C) Sculptor

24. HUNGRY : FOOD :: THIRSTY : ?

A) Water
B) Sleep
C) Eat
D) Drink
Answer: A) Water

25. SQUARE : FOUR :: TRIANGLE : ?

A) Three
B) Four
C) Five
D) Six
Answer: A) Three

26. KITTEN : CAT :: PUPPY : ?

A) Horse
B) Dog
C) Lion
D) Cub
Answer: B) Dog

27. WHEEL : CAR :: PROPELLER : ?

A) Bicycle
B) Train
C) Airplane
D) Boat
Answer: C) Airplane

28. BRAIN : MIND :: HEART : ?

A) Blood
B) Emotion
C) Organ
D) Pump
Answer: B) Emotion

29. TREE : FOREST :: STAR : ?

A) Sky
B) Moon
C) Galaxy
D) Night
Answer: C) Galaxy

30. WRITER : NOVEL :: COMPOSER : ?

A) Song
B) Symphony
C) Art
D) Poem
Answer: B) Symphony

🟣 Word Usage (31–40)

31. The new evidence was _____ to the case.

A) Crucial
B) Decorative
C) Optional
D) Harmful
Answer: A) Crucial

32. His rude behavior was _____ .

A) Justified
B) Unacceptable
C) Praiseworthy
D) Normal
Answer: B) Unacceptable

33. She managed to _____ her fear.

A) Overcome
B) Enjoy
C) Hide
D) Ignore
Answer: A) Overcome

34. They had a _____ relationship.

A) Close
B) Friendly
C) Hostile
D) Loving
Answer: C) Hostile

35. Profits have _____ over the year.

A) Decreased
B) Improved
C) Remained
D) Jumped
Answer: B) Improved

36. Please _____ the instructions.

A) Ignore
B) Read
C) Skip
D) Forget
Answer: B) Read

37. The view was _____ .

A) Dull
B) Uninteresting
C) Spectacular
D) Common
Answer: C) Spectacular

38. He spoke with _____ .

A) Doubt
B) Certainty
C) Hesitation
D) Confusion
Answer: B) Certainty

39. The team worked _____ .

A) Lazily
B) Hard
C) Slowly
D) Rarely
Answer: B) Hard

40. The room is _____ .

A) Spacious
B) Empty
C) Cramped
D) Large
Answer: C) Cramped

⚫ Odd One Out (41–50)

41. Apple, Banana, Orange, Carrot

Answer: D) Carrot

42. Run, Walk, Jump, Sleep

Answer: D) Sleep

43. Happy, Sad, Angry, Fast

Answer: D) Fast

44. Red, Blue, Green, Loud

Answer: D) Loud

45. Piano, Guitar, Flute, Paintbrush

Answer: D) Paintbrush

46. Tiger, Lion, Elephant, Shark

Answer: D) Shark

47. January, Monday, February, March

Answer: B) Monday

48. Cup, Plate, Spoon, Car

Answer: D) Car

49. Novel, Poem, Dictionary, Chair

Answer: D) Chair

50. Quickly, Slowly, Brightly, Carefully

Answer: C) Brightly

Thursday, 11 June 2026

IOE Entrance Exam Word Stress notes

📖 Word Stress for IOE Entrance Exam

📖 What is Word Stress?

📋 Key Rules for Word Stress (with Examples)

🔹 Two-Syllable Words

🔹 Three or More Syllables (Suffix Rules)

🔹 Words with Specific Endings

✔ “-ion”, “-ic”, “-ious”

✔ “-ial”, “-ian”

✔ “-ify”, “-ity”, “-ate”

🔹 Compound Words & Phrasal Verbs

📝 Practice Questions with Options and Answers

Question 1

Answer: B. entrance

Question 2

Answer: D. clarify

Question 3

Answer: B. terrific

Question 4

Answer: A. limestone

Question 5

Answer: A. degree

Question 6

Answer: A. photograph

Question 7

Answer: A. vocational

Question 8

Answer: B. motivated

🎯 Set 2: Stress Pattern Identification

Question 9

Answer: A. PHOtograph

Question 10

Answer: B. conCENtration

🎯 Quick Reference Cheat Sheet for IOE Exam

💡 Exam Tips for IOE

IOE English Practice Questions (1–50)

🟢 Synonyms (Questions 1–10)

1. The view from the mountaintop was breathtaking.

2. His speech was very concise.

3. She felt melancholy after watching the sad film.

4. The river water was turbid after the storm.

5. He gave a lucid explanation of the theory.

6. Her comment was quite mundane.

7. The warrior was known for his valor.

8. They tried to mitigate the damage.

9. The old castle had an ominous look.

10. Her kindness was genuine.

🔴 Antonyms (Questions 11–20)

11. Artificial intelligence is advancing fast. Opposite of artificial?

12. He was very humble despite his success. Opposite?

13. The team suffered a minor loss. Opposite?

14. The road was narrow. Opposite?

15. The soup was cold. Opposite?

16. His actions were voluntary. Opposite?

17. She spoke softly. Opposite?

18. The answer was incorrect. Opposite?

19. He was optimistic about the future. Opposite?

20. The test was simple. Opposite?

🟡 Analogies (Questions 21–30)

21. FINGER : HAND :: PETAL : ?

22. DOCTOR : HOSPITAL :: TEACHER : ?

23. PAINT : ARTIST :: CHISEL : ?

24. HUNGRY : FOOD :: THIRSTY : ?

25. SQUARE : FOUR :: TRIANGLE : ?

26. KITTEN : CAT :: PUPPY : ?

27. WHEEL : CAR :: PROPELLER : ?

28. BRAIN : MIND :: HEART : ?

29. TREE : FOREST :: STAR : ?

30. WRITER : NOVEL :: COMPOSER : ?

🟣 Word Usage (31–40)

31. The new evidence was _____ to the case.

32. His rude behavior was _____ .

33. She managed to _____ her fear.

34. They had a _____ relationship.

35. Profits have _____ over the year.

36. Please _____ the instructions.

37. The view was _____ .

38. He spoke with _____ .

39. The team worked _____ .