English words whose meaning is changed
by a difference in stress accent
by a difference in stress accent
"Combat" If you accent it on COM, it's
a noun. If you accent it on BAT, it's a verb.
Here are additional examples of words which change from noun to verb because of the position of their accent.
If you accent the wrong syllable, you may not be understood.
The noun is accented on the first syllable; the verb on the second syllable.
Some people don't follow these rules. This adds greatly to the confusion.
We will add to these as we encounter more.
Here are additional examples of words which change from noun to verb because of the position of their accent.
If you accent the wrong syllable, you may not be understood.
The noun is accented on the first syllable; the verb on the second syllable.
Some people don't follow these rules. This adds greatly to the confusion.
We will add to these as we encounter more.
|
Noun
|
Verb
|
|
ABstract
|
abstRACT
|
|
ACcent
|
acCENT
|
|
ADdict
|
adDICT
|
|
ADdress
|
adDRESS
|
|
ANnex
|
anNEX
|
|
ALly
|
alLY
|
|
ATtribute
|
atTRIBute
|
|
COMbat
|
comBAT
|
|
COMmune
|
comMUNE
|
|
COMpact
|
comPACT
|
|
COMpound
|
comPOUND
|
|
COMpress
|
comPRESS
|
|
CONduct
|
conDUCT
|
|
CONfines
|
conFINES
|
|
CONflict
|
conFLICT
|
|
CONscript
|
conSCRIPT
|
|
CONsort
|
conSORT
|
|
CONtract
|
conTRACT
|
|
CONtrast
|
conTRAST
|
|
CONverse
|
conVERSE
|
|
CONvert
|
conVERT
|
|
CONvict
|
conVICT
|
|
DEcrease
|
deCREASE
|
|
DEsert
|
deSERT
|
|
DEtail
|
deTAIL
|
|
DIScard
|
disCARD
|
|
DIScharge
|
disCHARGE
|
|
ENvelope
|
enVELope
|
|
EScort
|
esCORT
|
|
EXploit
|
exPLOIT
|
|
EXport
|
exPORT
|
|
EXtract
|
exTRACT
|
|
FInance
|
fiNANCE
|
|
FRAgment
|
fragMENT
|
|
IMpact
|
imPACT
|
|
IMprint
|
imPRINT
|
|
INcrease
|
inCREASE
|
|
INsert
|
inSERT
|
|
INsult
|
inSULT
|
|
MANdate
|
manDATE
|
|
OBject
|
obJECT
|
|
OVERcharge
|
overCHARGE
|
|
OVERwork
|
overWORK
|
|
PERmit
|
perMIT
|
|
PERvert
|
perVERT
|
|
PREfix
|
preFIX
|
|
PREsent
|
preSENT
|
|
PROceeds
|
proCEEDS
|
|
PROcess
|
proCESS
|
|
PROduce
|
proDUCE
|
|
PROgress
|
proGRESS
|
|
PROject
|
proJECT
|
|
PROtest
|
proTEST
|
|
RAMpage
|
ramPAGE
|
|
REBel
|
reBEL
|
|
REcap
|
reCAP
|
|
REcall
|
reCALL
|
|
REcord
|
reCORD
|
|
REfill
|
reFILL
|
|
REfund
|
reFUND
|
|
REfuse
|
refUSE
|
|
REject
|
reJECT
|
|
REplay
|
rePLAY
|
|
SUBject
|
subJECT
|
|
SURvey
|
surVEY
|
|
SUSpect
|
susPECT
|
|
TORment
|
torMENT
|
|
TRANSfer
|
transFER
|
|
TRANSplant
|
transPLANT
|
|
TRANSport
|
transPORT
|
|
UPset
|
upSET
|
|
|
|
|
Adjective
|
Verb
|
|
ABsent
|
abSENT
|
|
FREquent
|
freQUENT
|
|
PERfect
|
perFECT
|
|
|
|
|
Adjective
|
Noun
|
|
inVALid
|
INvalid
|
|
miNUTE (my noot)
|
MInute (min it)
|
|
comPLEX
|
COMplex
|
