Find which syllable is stressed in English words and sentences. See stressed and unstressed syllables, IPA, syllable breaks, and pronunciation audio.
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Tap US Audio or UK Audio to listen first. Use Slow 0.55x for practice.
pruh-nun-see-ay-shun jen-er-ay-ter kumf-ter-buhl skeh-jool
A syllable stress finder shows which part of an English word should sound strongest. In pronunciation, the stressed syllable is usually longer, clearer, and more noticeable. Words such as pronunciation, comfortable, generator, and schedule become easier to say when the stress pattern is visible before you practice.
A word may begin strong, as in COMF-ter-buhl, sound strongest in the middle, or carry a later secondary stress. GEN-er-ay-tor has primary stress on the first syllable, with secondary stress later in the word. Pattern labels such as Ooo, oOo, and ooO make the rhythm easy to compare before you look at IPA stress marks.
If you are unsure why one syllable sounds stronger, follow the step-by-step guide to finding the stressed syllable. It explains what to listen for before you check your answer here with audio and IPA. Try saying each example aloud first, mark the beat you naturally emphasize, and then compare it with the highlighted result.
See more Ooo, oOo, and ooO examples in the word stress patterns guide, then enter the words here to hear how the strong and weak beats differ.
English rhythm depends on contrast. Stressed syllables carry more energy, while unstressed syllables are shorter and often use weak vowels such as schwa. If every syllable is pronounced equally, speech can sound flat or hard to follow even when individual consonants are correct.
Use the audio controls to hear the stress pattern, then read the uppercase or highlighted stress guide. Repeat the word slowly, then again at normal speed. Audio keeps the stress checker connected to real pronunciation instead of turning it into a silent spelling exercise.
Syllable breaks help you divide a word into speakable chunks. IPA transcription shows the exact sound symbols. Simple phonetic spelling gives a readable guide for learners. The best result uses all three: chunks for pacing, stress for rhythm, and IPA for precision.
Use the syllable finder when your question is “How many syllables does this word or sentence have?” That page focuses on the total and the per-word count. Return here when you need to know which syllable carries the main beat.
Some English words change part of speech when stress moves: REcord is often a noun, while reCORD is a verb; PREsent can be a noun or adjective, while preSENT is a verb. Even when meaning does not change, wrong stress can make a familiar word harder to recognize.
Clap or tap once on the stressed syllable, reduce the weaker syllables, and avoid adding extra vowels after final consonants. Then place the word in a short sentence. Sentence practice helps you keep the word stress while speaking naturally.
Start with a word you need to say this week rather than memorizing a long rule list. Enter it, listen to the US or UK audio, and say the syllable with the main stress slightly longer and clearer. Then add the word to a short sentence and repeat at normal speed. For example, compare the noun REcord with the verb reCORD, or the noun PREsent with the verb preSENT. The spelling stays the same, but a changed stress pattern can change the meaning a listener hears. This checker gives you a practice target; context and a trusted speaker remain useful when a word has several accepted pronunciations.
It identifies syllable breaks and highlights the strongest syllable in a word or phrase. PronounceText also includes audio, IPA, and simple spelling for practice.
Yes. The stress output shows which syllable is strongest and helps you reduce the weaker syllables when speaking.
Both matter, but stress often has a bigger effect on whether listeners recognize the word. Use IPA for exact sounds and stress for rhythm.
Yes. Long words are often the best use case because syllable breaks and stress placement make them easier to pronounce.
It can help with short sentences, but split long paragraphs into smaller phrases so the stress pattern stays readable.
