Key Concept: Stress and Part of Speech
In English, stress placement often changes depending on whether a word is a noun, verb, or adjective, especially in two-syllable words:
- Nouns and adjectives: Stress is usually on the first syllable
- Examples: REcord (noun), PREsent (adjective)
- Verbs: Stress is usually on the second syllable
- Examples: reCORD (verb), preSENT (verb)
This pattern is not common in Spanish, so learners may misplace stress and cause confusion in both speaking and listening.
❌ Typical Mistakes vs ✅ Correct Usage
| Word | Part of Speech | Incorrect Stress (Typical Mistake) | Correct Stress | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| record | Verb | REcord | reCORD | Stress should shift to the second syllable for the verb form. |
| record | Noun | reCORD | REcord | Stress should be on the first syllable for the noun. |
| present | Verb | PREsent | preSENT | Verb form takes stress on the second syllable. |
| present | Adjective | preSENT | PREsent | Adjective form takes stress on the first syllable. |
| object | Verb | OBject | obJECT | Verb form takes stress on the second syllable. |
| object | Noun | obJECT | OBject | Noun form takes stress on the first syllable. |
| permit | Verb | PERmit | perMIT | Verb form takes stress on the second syllable. |
| permit | Noun | perMIT | PERmit | Noun form takes stress on the first syllable. |