word stress


noun

the stress pattern or patterns associated with the words of a particular language when they are considered in isolation.
Also called word accent.
Compare sentence stress.

Origin of word stress

First recorded in 1910–15

Example sentences from the Web for word stress

  • With respect to the word-stress and the metrical value of syllables there are in Shakespeare many archaic peculiarities.

British Dictionary definitions for word stress

word stress

noun

the stress accent on the syllables of individual words either in a sentence or in isolation