Word Stress

наголос

• The emphasis placed on a syllable in a word.
• Word stress is essential for correct pronunciation and meaning.

Pronunciation

There are no universal rules for where stress falls on a word. It can shift for multiple reasons, including number (singular or plural), grammatical case, conjugations, і так дали (etc. / and so on). Наприклад (for example):

Shift based on number:

• стілець (chair)
• стільці (chairs)

Shift based on grammatical case:

• аеропорт (airport)(nominative case)
• в аеропорту (at the airport)(locative case)

Shift based on verb conjugation:

• я пишу (I am writing)(1st person singular)
• ти пишеш (you are writing)(2nd person singular)

This means that you need to memorize and internalize the stress marks and patterns rather than rely on fixed rules. As you use the language more you'll begin to recognize common shifts and patterns. Personally, I've found it effective to initially memorize word stress with the meaning of the word using flashcards, then solidifying that knowledge through repetition via reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

To help you practice proper pronunciation and improve your reading and speaking fluency, the stressed letters in all of the Looping texts are bold. Textbooks or other physical learning material will usually use accent marks above the letters, but I've found that this causes formatting problems online. You can use accent marks when reading through your initial loop of a text for practice.

One other thing to note is that while most words have only one stressed syllable, some have two. This is commonly referred to as "variable" stress.

Наприклад:

• також (also, too)

In such cases you can choose which syllable to emphasize based on euphony - the smoothness and rhythm of speech.

• Я люблю каву, а також чай. (I like coffee, and tea too.)
• Вона також працює в університеті. (She also works at the university.)

And no, you cannot place stress on both syllables. This would sound unnatural and confusing. You must pick one or the other.

Meaning

In Ukrainian, word stress is also important for understanding the meaning of a word. Shifting the stressed syllable can completely change a word's meaning, even if the spelling stays the same.

Наприклад:

• замок (castle)
• замок (lock)

So even though the meaning of a word is usually clear from context, correct word stress is essential for competency in the language and avoiding misunderstandings.

Useful tools to figure out word stress

Most of the words you learn from your textbook and on this site will already have proper word stress marked, but here are some useful tools you can use if you come across new words without stress marks.

• Горох Dictionary
• Словники України Orthographic dictionary
• Наголоси онлайн Word stress generator (beta)

Always double and triple check the word stress you're looking up. On numerous occasions I've found conflicting information and the word stress generator often marks the wrong syllable, for whatever reason. If you're still unsure where stress falls on a specific word, feel free to ask in the comments section!