A)雙音節詞
a)壹般在第壹個音節重讀。letter, sorry
b)有 a-, be-, de-, re-, res-, in-, im-, en-, em-, es-, ex-, con-, com-, dis-, mis-, pre-, per-, pro-, trans- 等前綴的詞，第二個音節是重音。a'bout, be'lieve, ad'dress, de'cide, re'port, con'demn, res'pect, com'pare, in'form, dis'cuss, im'press, mis'take, en'force, pre'pare, em'ploy, per'mit, es'cape, pro'duce, ex'claim,trans'late
c)有 de-, in-, re-, con-, pre- 等前綴的重音與詞義和詞類有關, 壹般名詞的重音在第壹個音節上，其它的詞性在第二個音節上。'record, re'cord; 'insult, in'sult; 'conduct, con'duct; 'present pre'sent; 'content, con'tent
d)有些復合詞和帶有前綴 re-, ex-, un-, pre-, post-, 等的詞，有兩個重音。'out'side, 're'tell, 'well-'known, 'un'real, 'fif'teen, 'Chi'nese, 'pre-'war, 'post-'war
B)多音節詞
a)壹般倒數第三個音節是重音。'difficult, 'communist, 'family, e'conomy, oppor'tunity,de'mocracy.
b)有壹些雙音節詞，加了前綴和後綴成了多音節，但這些詞按原來詞根的重音讀音。'carefully, in'definite, 'comfortable, con'ductor, ac'cording, dis'turbance, 'complicated,es'tablishment,
c)詞尾有-eous, -grahpy, -ial, -ian, -ic, -ics, -ience, ient, -ify, -ion, -ious, -ity, ive 後綴的詞，重音在這些後綴的前壹個音節上。cour'teous, cal'ligraphy, edi'torial, his'torian, peri'odic, mathe'matics, ex'perience,suf'ficient, i'dentify, trans'lation, re'ligious, curi'osity, pro'tective
d)詞尾有 -ain, -ee, -eer, -ese, -ette 後綴的詞，重音在該後綴上，而且有壹個次重音。enter'tain, emplo'yee, mountai'neer, Japa'nese, ciga'rette