Word stress in related English words
Compare economy with economics and anonymous with anonymity, then test when the strongest syllable moves or stays put.
Practice goal: Locate the main beat in each word instead of carrying over its relative’s stress automatically.
Compare one pair at a time
Open the two APG videos for a pair and alternate between the words. Tap once for the strongest syllable. Economy has its main beat on syllable two, while economics has it on syllable three.
Separate main and smaller beats
IPA marks main stress with /ˈ/ and secondary stress with /ˌ/. Volatility has a smaller beat near the beginning and its main beat on TIL. Giving both equal weight would hide the contrast with first-syllable-stressed volatile.
Look for a counterexample
Autonomous and autonomy both stress the second syllable. Constituent and constituency do too, even though constituency has an extra syllable. A changed ending does not guarantee a changed stress position.
Your listening list
12 wordsChoose a word to hear it in an APG video.
A later beat with -ic or -ics
Read each adjacent pair together. Economy and geography stress the second syllable; economics and geographic stress the third.
economy
/ɪˈkɑnəmi/
Keep the second syllable strongest.
The IPA shows two opening vowels but the same stress pattern. Compare this word with economics, where the main beat comes later in the word.
Watch economy →economics
/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪks/
Move the main beat later than in “economy.”
The third syllable carries the primary stress, following a smaller beat at the beginning. The final iks stays lighter than the stressed vowel before m.
Watch economics →geography
/dʒiˈɑɡɹəfi/
The second syllable is strongest.
Start with the j sound in job followed by an ee vowel. The next vowel carries the main beat; compare the later stress in geographic.
Watch geography →geographic
/ˌdʒiəˈɡɹæfɪk/
Make “graf” stand out.
Unlike geography, geographic places its main stress on the third syllable. The opening has a smaller beat, while the final ik remains light.
Watch geographic →
A later beat with -ity
Anonymous and volatile give way to a later main beat in anonymity and volatility. The number of syllables also changes.
anonymous
/əˈnɑnəməs/
The second syllable carries the strongest beat.
Use four syllables and a light opening vowel. Keep the first and final two vowels less prominent than the vowel after the first n, and finish with an unvoiced s.
Watch anonymous →anonymity
/ˌænəˈnɪmɪti/
Stress “nim,” the third syllable.
Keep the vowel after the first n light, then make the short i in the third syllable strongest.
Watch anonymity →volatile
/ˈvɑlətəl/
End with a light “tul.”
Keep both later vowels unstressed, rather than making the final syllable sound like the separate word tile.
Watch volatile →volatility
/ˌvɑləˈtɪləti/
Shift the main stress to “til,” the third syllable.
Keep the third short i strongest; the final two vowels stay lighter than that central beat.
Watch volatility →
Changed endings, steady stress
Both words in each pair retain second-syllable stress. Listen for the changed ending without moving the main beat.
autonomous
/ɔˈtɑnəməs/
Give the second syllable the main beat.
Use four syllables with primary stress on the vowel after t. Keep the two later vowels light, rather than giving the final mous an equally strong beat.
Watch autonomous →autonomy
/ɔˈtɑnəmi/
Stress TON.
Keep the other three syllables lighter. The opening vowel can vary.
Watch autonomy →constituent
/kənˈstɪtʃuənt/
Stress “stit” and listen for “ch” before “oo.”
Use four vowel beats and a light opening. A ch sound leads from the stressed part into oo, followed by a separate light uh before the final nt.
Watch constituent →constituency
/kənˈstɪtʃuənsi/
kun-STICH-oo-un-see: the t contributes a ch sound.
The strongest syllable is STICH. Let the following oo move into a light un, then finish with an unstressed see.
Watch constituency →
Test these pronunciations
Try 8 questions from this guide. Each answer includes an APG video, dictionary reference, and explanation.
Try this guide’s quiz →Sources & classroom use
Each listening tip follows the IPA shown beside its word. Other dictionary pronunciations appear on the word page; individual speakers may vary.
Practice phrases were written for these exercises; quoted book passages remain in the separate, sourced book sections. These guides and practice notes are available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and retain the linked dictionary attributions. Videos and other reference material keep their own terms.
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