Word Stress Exercises: 40 Words and Sentences with Answers

Practise English word stress with 40 words in four graded exercises. Check the stressed syllables, then say each word in a sentence using the answer key.

Published on October 19, 2026

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Choose an exercise

Mark the main stress in 40 words, then check your answers and practise each word in a sentence. Start with two-syllable words, move to longer words, then compare stress within word families. Choose one block of ten for a short session.

Before you start: how to mark stress

Write the word with its main stressed syllable in capitals and note that syllable’s number, counting from the beginning. For example, September becomes sep-TEM-ber (2). In the answer keys, capitals and bold show primary stress, the strongest stress in the word. Hyphens help you locate the syllables in the spelling; they are not a phonetic transcription or an instruction to pause.

A stressed syllable stands out through a combination of length, vowel clarity, loudness and pitch. Listen for the contrast with the lighter syllables, rather than relying on volume alone. The British Council’s word stress guide explains these cues and why stress patterns have exceptions.

For each block:

1. Mark all ten words before opening the answers. If a word is unfamiliar, listen to its dictionary recording first, then try to locate the stress.
2. Open the key and check the position. Each answer links to dictionary audio and a transcription.
3. Say the word, then its practice sentence without pausing inside the word. Record a few sentences and listen for whether the target word keeps its pattern.

The keys use the main stress shown in Cambridge’s UK and US entries for the words said on their own. Vowels and consonants can differ between those recordings. Some longer words also have a lighter, secondary stress, marked ˌ in dictionary transcriptions; the mark ˈ shows primary stress. You only need to mark primary stress here. For more explanation before practising, read our guide to word stress in English.

Exercise 1: everyday two-syllable words

Mark the stressed syllable and write 1 or 2. The words are mixed: do not assume that a noun always has first-syllable stress.

1. table
2. money
3. today
4. police
5. teacher
6. about
7. happy
8. hotel
9. mistake
10. window

Answers 1: everyday words in sentences

Exercise 2: two-syllable verbs

Use each word as a verb and mark its main stress. Many verbs in this set stress the second syllable, but two stress the first. Find those two before checking the key.

11. begin
12. listen
13. arrive
14. answer
15. decide
16. enjoy
17. relax
18. forget
19. return
20. explain

Answers 2: verbs in sentences

Exercise 3: longer words

Each word has three syllables in the dictionary pronunciations used here. Mark the main stress and write 1, 2 or 3. Say the whole word after marking it, letting the unstressed syllables stay lighter.

21. banana
22. beautiful
23. computer
24. difficult
25. important
26. afternoon
27. expensive
28. understand
29. tomorrow
30. together

Answers 3: longer words in sentences

Exercise 4: word families and endings

Mark the main stress in all ten words. Compare 31–33 as a family, then 34–35. Adding an ending can move the stress, so a familiar spelling does not guarantee a familiar pattern.

31. photograph
32. photography
33. photographic
34. economy
35. economic
36. education
37. information
38. invitation
39. volunteer
40. Japanese

Answers 4: families and endings in sentences

When stress moves, vowels can change too. Listen for those changes in the dictionary audio: the capitalised spelling shows where the stress falls, but it cannot tell you the vowel sound. Our phonetic transcription guide explains the symbols used to show those sounds.

Check what carries over into your speech

Give yourself one point for each correct stress position, for a total out of 40. Keep that score separate from how the words sound in your recording. You can identify the right syllable on paper and still give every syllable the same weight when speaking.

Choose three words you missed or found hard to say. Listen to each dictionary recording, say the word, then record its sentence. Compare the target word with the model: can you hear which syllable stands out? Try again with one change, such as giving that syllable more time. Return to those three words the next day before looking at the answers.

For a final check, use one of the words in a sentence of your own. If you chose photography, talk about whether it interests you. That tests whether you can keep the pattern while deciding what to say.

You can use Phonema to practise these sentences and review its word and sound feedback. Use dictionary audio or a teacher to check the stress itself; Phonema’s word scores are not a dedicated assessment of syllable stress.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the stressed syllable in a word?

Say the word and identify the syllable that stands out most. Then check a learner dictionary: the mark ˈ comes immediately before the syllable with the main stress. Listen to the recording to check the sounds as well as the stress position.

What is the difference between word stress and sentence stress?

Word stress concerns syllable prominence inside a word; sentence stress concerns which words stand out in a message. In these exercises, you identify the main stress of each word said on its own, then practise that pattern in a sentence.

For practice choosing which words to emphasise across a sentence, continue with English rhythm and sentence stress.

Do word stress rules work for every English word?

No. Patterns can help you make a first guess, but there are exceptions, stress shifts in related words, and differences between varieties of English. Check the dictionary entry for the word you need.

How can I check my word stress without a teacher?

Use the answer key to check the stress position you chose. Then record the word and its practice sentence, and compare the word with dictionary audio. A correct written answer checks your knowledge of the pattern; it does not prove that your spoken stress matches it.

Sources and pronunciation models

• Emma Pathare, British Council TeachingEnglish: Word stress. Explanation of stress cues, exceptions, word families and ways of marking stress.
• Cambridge Dictionary. Each answer links to the relevant pronunciation entry with UK and US audio and transcriptions. In particular, compare photography, photographic and economic for shifts in main stress; Japanese shows both main and secondary stress. These entries provide the reference models, rather than an exhaustive account of regional pronunciation.

Related sounds

• ʌ — as in cup
• ɪ — as in sit
• i — as in see

* Reference check: 19 October 2026. We make Phonema, the pronunciation app mentioned in this article, so we have a commercial interest in it. The exercises work with a dictionary and a voice recorder.