Pronunciation · Word list
Words that change with stress
In short
Same spelling, different stress, different part of speech. English marks the noun/verb distinction purely by which syllable you emphasise, so the wrong stress sends a listener looking for the wrong grammar before they reach the end of your sentence.
The pattern
Nouns take first-syllable stress; verbs take second-syllable stress. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa.
All 15 words
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- presentPREZ-untˈprezənt · 2 syllablesOften said as Using one fixed stress for both meanings, usually PREZ-unt for everything
- recordREK-ordˈrekɔːd · 2 syllablesOften said as ri-KORD for the noun, so “a world record” sounds like an instruction
- objectOB-jiktˈɒbdʒɪkt · 2 syllablesOften said as Using ob-JEKT for the noun, which makes “an object” sound like a protest
- subjectSUB-jiktˈsʌbdʒɪkt · 2 syllablesOften said as sub-JEKT for the school subject
- projectPROJ-ektˈprɒdʒekt · 2 syllablesOften said as pruh-JEKT for the noun — very common, and it makes “my project” sound like a verb phrase
- contractKON-traktˈkɒntrækt · 2 syllablesOften said as kun-TRAKT for the legal document
- increaseIN-kreesˈɪnkriːs · 2 syllablesOften said as in-KREES for the noun — extremely common when describing charts and data
- conflictKON-fliktˈkɒnflɪkt · 2 syllablesOften said as kun-FLIKT for the noun
- permitPUR-mitˈpɜːmɪt · 2 syllablesOften said as pur-MIT for the document
- progressPROH-gresˈprəʊɡres · 2 syllablesOften said as pruh-GRES for the noun, which is the single most common stress error in IELTS answers about study or work
- protestPROH-testˈprəʊtest · 2 syllablesOften said as pruh-TEST for the event
- exportEKS-portˈekspɔːt · 2 syllablesOften said as eks-PORT for the noun, common when describing trade data
- suspectSUS-pektˈsʌspekt · 2 syllablesOften said as suh-SPEKT for the person
- insultIN-sultˈɪnsʌlt · 2 syllablesOften said as in-SULT for the noun
- desertDEZ-utˈdezət · 2 syllablesOften said as Saying di-ZURT for the sandy place, which is the verb “to abandon” — and sounds like “dessert”
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common words that change with stress in English?
This list covers 15: present, record, object, subject, project, contract, increase, conflict, and more. Each has its own page with IPA, a syllable breakdown, audio in both accents, and a recording drill.
Is there a rule behind words that change with stress?
Nouns take first-syllable stress; verbs take second-syllable stress. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa.
Do I need to fix all of these for IELTS?
No. IELTS scores intelligibility, not word-perfect accuracy, and it accepts every standard accent. Fix the words you actually use, starting with the frequent ones: a mispronounced everyday word costs far more than a mispronounced rare one.
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