This page shows the way in which the meaning of a word can change if you stress a different syllable. This change only happens with a few, specific words, many of which are listed here — it doesn’t apply to all words in the English language. Most of the words are two syllables long — there are just a few examples with three syllables.
The examples fall into two categories:
- Those which keep the same general meaning, but which change from noun to verb when the stress moves from the first to the second syllable.
- Those which change their meaning completely — most of them change from noun to verb, but a few change to an adjective.
1. Change from noun to verb, same general meaning:
addict ADD-ict Rob is a crack cocaine ADD-ict. (Rob is a person who uses crack cocaine and cannot stop doing it) add-ICT If you keep playing that game, you will get add-ICT-ed to it! (you will become an addict) conflict CON-flictThe two friends were in CON-flict. (didn’t agree about something) con-FLICTYour 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 and con-TRAST these two poems. (show the differences between them) convert CON-vert He is a CON-vert to Buddhism. (he has changed his religion) con-VERT I’m sorry, you will never con-VERT me. (you will never persuade me to change my beliefs/opinions) decrease DE-crease There has been a DE-crease in sales recently. (we have sold less than usual) de-CREASE We need to de-CREASE the number of children in the class to make it more effective. import IM-port Coffee is an IM-port from Brazil. (coffee is brought here from Brazil) im-PORT We would like to im-PORT more coffee over the next few years. increase IN-crease There has been an IN-crease in accidents recently. (there have been more accidents) in-CREASE We need to in-CREASE our sales figures. (sell more) insult IN-sult What she said felt like an IN-sult. (she said something bad) in-SULT Please don’t in-SULT me(don’t say bad things to me) perfect PER-fect Your homework is PER-fect. (it has no mistakes in it) per-FECT We need to per-FECT our design before we can put this new product on the market. (we need to improve it) permit PER-mit Do you have a PER-mit to drive this lorry?. (document giving permission) per-MIT Will you per-MIT me to park my car 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 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 to 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 to pro-DUCE a rabbit from his top hat? (bring out) protest PRO-test There was a political PRO-test going on in the street. (demonstration) pro-TEST I had to 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 to re-CORD how much you spend every month. (make a note of) reject RE-ject The item in this box is a RE-ject. (not good enough to sell) re-JECT We have decided to 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 to be cut down, before it falls and causes some damage. (have a feeling, think, imagine)
2. Change from noun to verb or noun to adjective, different meaning:
address AD-dress Do you know Valen’s AD-dress? (where she lives) ad-DRESS You do not have permission to ad-DRESS President Harkonnen! (to speak to 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 to 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 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 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 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 to 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 to 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 to 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)