Rules for Accentual Patterns

1. All English words have some accent, primary or secondary, on the first or the second syllable. E.g. cough, cut, great office, basic, country Cigarette, advertise, artistic Politician, application, recommended

2. Words with weak prefixes are accented on the root, and not the prefix. e.g., abroad, across, admit, advice, ahead, alone, aloud, amount, apart, attend, below, between, compose, correct, develop, expect, occur, prefer, reduce.

3.The inflectional suffixes -es, -ing, -ed, and the following derivational suffixes do not affect the accent: -age, -dom, -en, -er, -ess, -ful, -fy, -less, - let, -ly, -ment, - ness, -or, -some, -ward.

 Words ending with ion - accent on the last but one syllable e.g : appli'cation imagi'nation conver'sation determi'nation intro'duction qualifi'cation

Connotation, association, concession, relation, satisfaction, preparation, combination, identification, creation, deviation, situation, emotion, determination, digestion, designation, medication, nutrition, attribution, civilization, affection, tension, tradition, composition.

colonization, unification, isolation, domination, communication, opposition, conclusion, distinction, assertion, location, elaboration, industrialization, frustration, plantation, submission, aviation, globalization, westernization, transcription, computerization

Aspiration, expectation, translation, reaction, fiction, interpretation, publication, function, emancipation, proclamation, segregation, discrimination, condition, constitution, declaration, obligation, graduation, desolation,

continuation, foundation, justification, degeneration, destination, devotion, satisfaction, tribulation, persecution, redemption, situation, oppression, nullification, interposition, transformation, exaltation, revelation, celebration

Words ending with ic, -ical, ically - accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

e.g.
apolo'getic e'lectric e'lectrical scien'tific sympa'thetic

grammatical, patriotic, political, politically, sympathetically

Words ending with ial, -ially - accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix) e.g.

arti'ficial ceremonial confi'dential es'sential me'morial

confidentially essentially

Industrial, official, presidential, matrimonial, denial, partial, terrestrial, celestial, serial, genial, martial, cordial, bestial, centennial, menial, special, imperial,

Words ending with ian - accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

e.g. electrician politician musician librarian

Physician, magician, musician, Russian, Indian, beautician.

Words ending with ious - accent on the last but one syllable (syllable preceding the suffix)

e.g. 'anxious in'dustrious in'jurious lu'xurious

laborious, rebellious, victorious, malicious, devious, pernicious, ferocious, perfidious, judicious, suspicious, curious, dubious,

Words ending with ity - accent on the syllable preceeding the suffix, i.e., on the third syllable from the end. - The antepenultimate syllable

e.g. ac'tivity mo'rality ne'cessity origi'nality possi'bility

Electricity, equality, generosity, morality, originality, continuity, monstrosity, connectivity, variety, duplicity, atrocity, curiosity, proclivity, sensitivity, adversity,

serendipity, tenacity, celebrity, stupidity, quantity, acidity, veracity, velocity, publicity, university, humanity, piety, conductivity, possibility, probability,

Words of more than two syllables ending with ate - primary accent is placed two syllables before the suffix, i.e. on the third syllable from the end.

e.g. complicate cultivate educate fortunate separate

Facilitate, felicitate, activate, complicate, duplicate, concentrate, potentate, differentiate, estimate, confiscate, articulate, communicate, classmate, dictate,