This page shows the way in which the meaning of a word can change if you bức xúc a different syllable. This change only happens with a few, specific words, many of which are listed here — it doesn’t apply to lớn all words in the English language. Most of the words are two syllables long — there are just a few examples with three syllables.
Bạn đang xem: Choose the word that has a different stress pattern
The examples fall into two categories:
Those which keep the same general meaning, but which change from noun to lớn verb when the bít tất tay moves from the first lớn the second syllable.Those which change their meaning completely — most of them change from noun lớn verb, but a few change to lớn an adjective.
1. Change from noun khổng lồ verb, same general meaning:
| addict | ADD-ict | Rob is a crack cocaine ADD-ict. (Rob is a person who uses crack cocaine và cannot stop doing it) |
| add-ICT | If you keep playing that game, you will get add-ICT-ed to lớn it! (you will become an addict) |
| conflict | CON-flict | The two friends were in CON-flict. (didn’t agree about something) |
| con-FLICT | Your two accounts of what happened con-FLICT. (your stories don’t agree with each other) |
| contest | CON-test | He is taking part in a boxing CON-test. (a fighting competition) |
| con-TEST | I’m sorry, I have to con-TEST your figures. (I can’t agree with your figures) |
| contrast | CON-trast | There’s quite a CON-trast between their political views. (a big difference) |
| con-TRAST | I will compare và con-TRAST these two poems. (show the differences between them) |
| convert | CON-vert | He is a CON-vert lớn Buddhism. (he has changed his religion) |
| con-VERT | I’m sorry, you will never con-VERT me. (you will never persuade me khổng lồ change my beliefs/opinions) |
| increase | IN-crease | There has been an IN-crease in accidents recently. (there have been more accidents) |
| in-CREASE | We need khổng lồ in-CREASE our sales figures. (sell more) |
| insult | IN-sult | What she said felt lượt thích an IN-sult. (she said something bad) |
| in-SULT | Please don’t in-SULT me(don’t say bad things to lớn me) |
| perfect | PER-fect | Your homework is PER-fect. (it has no mistakes in it) |
| per-FECT | We need lớn per-FECT our thiết kế before we can put this new sản phẩm on the market. (we need to lớn improve it) |
| permit | PER-mit | Do you have a PER-mit lớn drive this lorry?. (document giving permission) |
| per-MIT | Will you per-MIT me lớn park my oto in front of your house? (allow me) |
| pervert | PER-vert | Niharika is a PER-vert. (she has strange sexual preferences) |
| per-VERT | The man was arrested on a charge of attempting to lớn per-VERT the course of justice. (interfering with the proper workings of the legal process) |
| present | PRES-ent | She gave me a nice PRES-ent on my birthday.(gift) |
| pre-SENT | Allow me lớn pres-ENT my friend, David. (introduce) |
| produce | PRO-duce | They sell all kinds of PRO-duce at the market. (fruit and vegetables) |
| pro-DUCE | How did the magician manage khổng lồ pro-DUCE a rabbit from his vị trí cao nhất hat? (bring out) |
| protest | PRO-test | There was a political PRO-test going on in the street. (demonstration) |
| pro-TEST | I had to lớn pro-TEST about the dirty state of the kitchen. (complain) |
| recall | RE-call | The actor was given a RE-call. (called back, invited for a second audition) |
| re-CALL | I can’t re-CALL the first time I rode a bicycle. (remember) |
| record | RE-cord | She always keeps a RE-cord of what she spends every month. (note) |
| re-CORD | It’s important khổng lồ re-CORD how much you spend every month. (make a note of) |
| reject | RE-ject | The tác phẩm in this box is a RE-ject. (not good enough to sell) |
| re-JECT | We have decided lớn re-JECT the building proposal as it would have cost too much money. (turn down, say no to) |
| suspect | SUS-pect | The police interviewed the SUS-pect for five hours, but then let him go. (someone they thought might have committed a crime) |
| sus-PECT | I sus-PECT that tree will have lớn be cut down, before it falls và causes some damage. (have a feeling, think, imagine) |
2. Change from noun khổng lồ verb or noun lớn adjective, different meaning:
| address | AD-dress | Do you know Valen’s AD-dress? (where she lives) |
| ad-DRESS | You vày not have permission to lớn ad-DRESS President Harkonnen! (to speak khổng lồ him directly) |
| attribute | AT-trib-ute | Dishonesty is a common ATT-rib-ute of politicians. (a trait/characteristic) |
| at-TRIB-ute | That quote is at-TRIB-u-ted lớn Winston Churchill. (considered to be first said/created by him) |
| conduct | CON-duct | We aren’t happy about your general CON-duct. (the way you’re behaving) |
| con-DUCT | I was asked to lớn con-DUCT the orchestra at short notice. (coordinate a musical performance by waving a baton) |
| console | CON-sole | I spend too much time at my computer CON-sole. (screen and controls) |
| con-SOLE | She was so unhappy, I was unable to lớn con-SOLE her. (make her feel better) |
| content | CON-tent | The CON-tent of your essay is fine, but you need to rearrange the structure. (what it contains) |
| con-TENT (adj.) | She was sitting reading a book, looking very con-TENT. (relaxed, peaceful) |
| converse | CON-verse | Do you think firm A is more successful than firm B? I think the CON-verse is true. (opposite) |
| con-VERSE | He can con-VERSE in three different languages. (have conversations) |
| default | DE-fault | The DE-fault settings of that TV are bad, but you can configure it differently. (the settings it comes with it when you get it) |
| de-FAULT | Jon de-FAULT-ed on his loan payments. (he did not make the required payments) |
| desert | DES-ert | The army marched through the DES-ert. (eg Sahara) |
| des-ERT | I wouldn’t advise you to lớn des-ERT the army, as it will get you into trouble. (leave without permission) |
| entrance | EN-trance | The EN-trance to the building was locked. (way in) |
| en-TRANCE | Are you trying khổng lồ en-TRANCE me? (hypnotise me, put me into a trance) |
| exploit | EX-ploit | He’s always talking about some EX-ploit from his war years. (exciting experience, adventure) |
| ex-PLOIT | Some companies ex-PLOIT their staff by expecting them khổng lồ work overtime for no extra pay. (take advantage of) |
| extract | EX-tract | She read me an EX-tract from her new novel. (short section) |
| ex-TRACT | The dentist says he needs khổng lồ ex-TRACT one of my teeth. (remove, pull out, take out) |
| invalid | IN-val-id | After his accident he was an IN-val-id for nearly a year, but he’s ok again now. (was disabled, had mobility problems) |
| in-VAL-id (adj.) | I’m sorry, your passport is in-VAL-id, as it expired two months ago. (can’t be used) |
| object | OB-ject | What is that OB-ject over there? (thing) |
| ob-JECT | Would anyone ob-JECT if I opened a window? (complain) |
| project | PRO-ject | This PRO-ject should be completed next month. (piece of work) |
| pro-JECT | We could pro-JECT the film onto that blank wall. (show, display) |
| refuse | REF-use | We have our REF-use collected on a Thursday. (rubbish, garbage) |
| re-FUSE | Chocolate cake? How can I re-FUSE! (say no) |
| subject | SUB-ject | What is the SUB-ject of today’s lesson? (topic) |
| sub-JECT | Oh dear, our teacher is going to sub-JECT us to another test. (impose on us, make us endure) |
