5 exercises on how stress shifts between related word forms.
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How does stress shift between "apply" and "application"?
"apply" = ap-PLY (stress on the second syllable); "application" = ap-pli-CA-tion (stress on "CA"). The "-tion" suffix pulls primary stress to the syllable right before it, so the stress moves rightward when you derive the noun. The verb "apply" stresses "PLY"; the noun shifts to "CA". This stress-shift is regular for "-ation" nouns. You say "ap-PLY the patch" but "the ap-pli-CA-tion server". Tracking this movement helps your speech sound natural across related word forms.
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How does stress shift between "configure" and "configuration"?
"configure" = con-FIG-ure (stress on "FIG"); "configuration" = con-fig-u-RA-tion (stress on "RA"). Again the "-ation" suffix drags stress to the penultimate syllable "RA", so it moves from "FIG" (in the verb) to "RA" (in the noun). You say "con-FIG-ure the server" but "the con-fig-u-RA-tion file". The clipping "config" keeps the verb-like front stress: "CON-fig". This three-way set - con-FIG-ure / con-fig-u-RA-tion / CON-fig - is worth practising as a unit.
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How does stress shift between "deploy" and "deployment"?
"deploy" = de-PLOY and "deployment" = de-PLOY-ment - the stress STAYS on "PLOY". Unlike "-ation", the suffix "-ment" does NOT shift stress; it simply attaches and keeps the verb's stress in place. This is an important contrast: "-tion/-ation" shifts stress, but "-ment" preserves it. So "de-PLOY the code" and "the de-PLOY-ment pipeline" both stress "PLOY". Other "-ment" words behave the same: "a-GREE / a-GREE-ment", "as-SESS / as-SESS-ment". Stable stress, no shift.
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How does stress shift between "authenticate" and "authentication"?
"authenticate" = au-THEN-ti-cate (stress on "THEN"); "authentication" = au-then-ti-CA-tion (stress on "CA"). The "-ation" suffix pulls stress rightward to "CA", the syllable before "-tion". So the verb stresses "THEN" and the noun shifts to "CA". You say "au-THEN-ti-cate the user" but "two-factor au-then-ti-CA-tion". This is the same regular pattern as apply/application and configure/configuration. The long noun ending "-CA-tion" always grabs the stress. Often abbreviated "auth" (just "awth").
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How does stress shift between "execute" and "execution"?
"execute" = EX-e-cute (stress on the first syllable "EX"); "execution" = ex-e-CU-tion (stress on "CU"). The "-tion" suffix shifts stress from the front ("EX") to the penultimate syllable ("CU"). So the verb is front-stressed but the noun stresses "CU" right before "-tion". You say "EX-e-cute the query" but "code ex-e-CU-tion". This rightward stress-shift on deriving the "-tion" noun is one of the most consistent patterns in English and applies to many technical verb/noun pairs.