5 exercises reading primary and secondary stress marks in IPA.
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
In the IPA transcription /ˈdeɪtəbeɪs/ for "database", what does the mark ˈ before "deɪ" indicate?
The raised vertical mark ˈ shows primary stress and is placed immediately before the stressed syllable. So /ˈdeɪtəbeɪs/ means the main stress is on DA-ta-base. Primary stress is heard as the loudest, longest, highest-pitched syllable in a word. Reading IPA correctly depends on locating this mark: it tells you which syllable to emphasise. Do not confuse it with the lower mark ˌ (secondary stress) or with an apostrophe. "Database" is stressed on the first syllable: DATA-base, not data-BASE.
2 / 5
In /ˈreɪdʒɪstri/ (registry), which syllable carries the primary stress?
The mark ˈ sits before reɪ, so registry is stressed on its first syllable: RE-gis-try. The remaining syllables are reduced and shorter. In English, the primary-stress mark always precedes (never follows) the syllable it applies to, so /ˈreɪ.../ tells you the strong beat comes first. Many multi-syllable IT terms stress the first syllable: REGistry, REPository (well, that one is re-PO-si-tory), DIRectory. Always read the ˈ mark to find the beat rather than guessing from spelling.
3 / 5
In a word like /ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃən/ (automation), what does the lower mark ˌ indicate?
The low vertical mark ˌ indicates secondary stress — a syllable that is stronger than the unstressed ones but weaker than the main (primary) beat. In automation /ˌɔːtəˈmeɪʃən/, the first syllable "au" gets secondary stress (ˌ) and "ma" gets primary stress (ˈ): AU-to-MA-tion. Longer words often have both marks. When reading IPA aloud, give the ˈ syllable the biggest emphasis, the ˌ syllable a medium emphasis, and reduce everything else (often to the weak vowel /ə/, called schwa).
4 / 5
Where is the stress mark always placed relative to the syllable it marks?
In IPA, both stress marks — primary ˈ and secondary ˌ — are written immediately before the syllable they apply to. So in /kənˈfɪɡ/ (config), the ˈ before "fɪɡ" tells you the stress is on the second syllable: con-FIG. This "before, not after" rule is the single most important thing to remember when reading IPA stress. If you misread it as marking the previous syllable, you will stress the wrong part of the word. Always look just to the right of the mark to find the strong syllable.
5 / 5
Reading /pəˈræmɪtə/ (parameter), which syllable is stressed?
The primary-stress mark ˈ appears before ræ, so parameter is stressed on its second syllable: pa-RA-me-ter /pəˈræmɪtə/. The first syllable uses the weak schwa /ə/ ("puh"), confirming it is unstressed. A common mistake is to stress the first syllable ("PA-rameter") — but IPA shows the beat is on "RA". Reading the mark, then locating the syllable just after it, reliably gives the correct stress. This pattern (stress on the second syllable) is shared by "parameter", "perimeter" and "parenthesis".