Noun vs Verb Word Stress in English

Did you know that some English words change their pronunciation depending on whether they are nouns or verbs? The spelling stays exactly the same, but the stress moves. In this video, you will practice five common examples. The general rule is simple: nouns usually have stress on the first syllable, and verbs usually have stress on the second syllable. For example, 'a PROject' is a noun meaning a piece of work, while 'to proJECT' is a verb meaning to show an image or estimate the future. 'CONduct' as a noun means behaviour, and 'conDUCT' as a verb means to organize or lead, as in conduct a survey. 'CONtest' is a competition, while 'conTEST' means to argue against something. 'REject' is something not accepted, while 'reJECT' means to refuse. 'Address' follows the same pattern for many speakers, especially in American English: an ADdress versus to adDRESS a problem. Getting stress right makes you much easier to understand, even if your accent is strong. Watch the video, listen to the stress change in each pair, and repeat them out loud. Try making a sentence that uses both forms of the same word.