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  2.26 Word stress

In theory it is hard to define "word stress". For simplicity you can say that the stressed syllable is spoken louder. But in practice it is no problem at all, everyone realizes the difference. Normally Italian words have the word stress on the before last syllable.

Examples
  correct tedesco = german
  incorrect tedesco
  correct stupendo = wonderful
  incorrect stupendo
  correct segreto = secretly
  incorrect segreto
  correct comprendere = to understand
  incorrect comprendere

If you speak Spanish you are possibly induced to believe that exceptions to this rule, word stress on the syllable before the last one, are marked with an accent. That is not the case in Italian. There is no way to deduce from writing where the word stress falls upon, you must know that. On the other hand that's something easy to remember. Having heard a word several times, you know on which syllable falls the word stress.






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