IELTS Pronunciation: Word stress in two-syllable nouns and verbs

Technique

How to say it

1
Place primary stress on the first syllable for nouns, making the vowel longer, louder, and slightly higher in pitch (e.g. RE-cord).
2
Shift primary stress to the second syllable for verbs, giving that syllable more breath force and duration (e.g. re-CORD).
3
Reduce the unstressed syllable to a weak vowel sound like the schwa /ə/ or /ɪ/ rather than pronouncing full vowels on both syllables.
4
Tap your finger on the stressed syllable as you speak to reinforce the correct natural rhythm.

8 pairs

Minimal pairs

Say each pair aloud. If the two words sound the same when you record yourself, slow down and go back to the steps above.

REcord /ˈrek.ɔːd/ (noun)/reCORD /rɪˈkɔːd/ (verb)
PREsent /ˈprez.ənt/ (noun)/preSENT /prɪˈzent/ (verb)
PROgress /ˈprəʊ.ɡres/ (noun)/proGRESS /prəˈɡres/ (verb)
INcrease /ˈɪŋ.kriːs/ (noun)/inCREASE /ɪnˈkriːs/ (verb)
EXport /ˈek.spɔːt/ (noun)/exPORT /ɪkˈspɔːt/ (verb)
PERmit /ˈpɜː.mɪt/ (noun)/perMIT /pəˈmɪt/ (verb)
CONflict /ˈkɒn.flɪkt/ (noun)/conFLICT /kənˈflɪkt/ (verb)
CONtract /ˈkɒn.trækt/ (noun)/conTRACT /kənˈtrækt/ (verb)

12 sentences

Practice lines from IELTS-style answers

1
I am hoping to proGRESS in my career and make steady PROgress this year.
verb proGRESS vs noun PROgress
2
The council decided to reCORD every public meeting on an official REcord.
verb reCORD vs noun REcord
3
If they inCREASE bus fares again, we will see a sharp INcrease in cycling.
verb inCREASE vs noun INcrease
4
I bought a lovely PREsent for my flatmate, which I will preSENT tomorrow.
noun PREsent vs verb preSENT
5
Residents gathered to proTEST after the council ignored their initial PROtest.
verb proTEST vs noun PROtest
6
Nobody found any strange OBject, though several neighbours did obJECT to the plan.
noun OBject vs verb obJECT
7
Farms in my region exPORT fruit, so fresh citrus is our main EXport.
verb exPORT vs noun EXport
8
You need an official PERmit before the authorities will perMIT any building work.
noun PERmit vs verb perMIT
9
There was an obvious CONflict, so their personal views started to conFLICT.
noun CONflict vs verb conFLICT
10
If you conTRACT an illness abroad, your travel CONtract should cover treatment.
verb conTRACT vs noun CONtract
11
The country began to imPORT grain when domestic IMports were clearly insufficient.
verb imPORT vs noun IMport
12
His professional CONduct improved once they decided to conDUCT regular reviews.
noun CONduct vs verb conDUCT

Say it in a real answer

Record an IELTS Speaking answer and get a Pronunciation band from the AI examiner, with the exact words that were hard to understand.

Watch out

Common mistakes

→Stressing the first syllable of verbs (e.g. saying 'RE-cord' when you mean the action of saving audio).
→Pronouncing both syllables with equal stress, which flattens the rhythm and sounds unnatural to the examiner.
→Failing to reduce the unstressed syllable to a weak schwa /ə/ or /ɪ/, creating an overly robotic delivery.

In the exam: When discussing topics like education, work, or the economy, listen to your own speech and ensure words like 'increase', 'progress', and 'project' have first-syllable stress as nouns and second-syllable stress as verbs.

Frequently asked questions

How much does pronunciation count in IELTS Speaking?+

A quarter of your Speaking band. Examiners judge how easy you are to understand and how well you use features like stress, rhythm and intonation, not whether you sound British or American.

Do I need a native accent for Band 8?+

No. An accent is fine at every band. What matters is that individual sounds are clear, stress falls on the right syllables and your intonation helps the listener follow you.

How should I practise these lines?+

Read each line slowly, then at natural speed, then record yourself and compare. Say the sentences in a real answer next, because examiners hear your pronunciation while you think, not while you read.

Keep practising

More word stress practice

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