Accent is a particular stress or force of the voice upon certain syllables or words. This mark ' in printing denotes the syllable upon which the stress or force of the voice should be placed.

1603. A Word may have more than one accent. Take as an instance as piration. In uttering this word we give a marked emphasis of the voice upon the first and third syllables, and therefore those syllables are said to be accented. The first of these accents is less distinguishable than the second, upon which we dwell longer, therefore the second accent is called the primary, or chief accent of the word.

1604. When the full accent falls on a vowel, that vowel should have a long sound, as in vocal; but when it falls on a consonant, the precediug vowel has a short sound, as in habit.

1605. To obtain a good knowledge of pronunciation, it is advisatle for the reader to listen to the examples given by good speaker!, and by educated persons. We learn the pronunciation of words, to a great extent, by imitation, just as birds acquire the notes of other birds which may be near them.

1606. But it will be very important to bear in mind that there are many words having a double meaning or application, and that the difference of meaning is indicated by the difference of the accent. Among these words, nouns are distinguished from verbs by this means: Nouns are accented on the first syllable, and verbs on the last.

1607. Noun signifies name; nouns are the names of persons and things; as well as of things not material and palpable, but of which we have a conception and knowledge, such as courage, firmness, goodness, strength; and verbs express actions, movements, etc If the word used signifies that anything has been done, or is being done, or is, or is to be done, - then that word is a verb.

1G08. Thus, when we say that anything is an "in'sult," that word is a noun, and is accented on the first syllable; but when we say "he did it to insult' another person," the word insult implies acting, and becomes a verb, and should be accented on the last syllable. The effect is, that, in speaking, you should employ a different pronunciation in the use of the same word, when uttering such sentences as these:-"What an in'sult!" "Do you mean to insult' me V In the first instance you would lay the stress of voice upon the in', and in the latter case upon the suit'.

1609. We will now give a list of nearly all the words that are liable to this variation: -

Ab'ject

Ab'sent

Ab'stract

Accent

Affix

As'sign

At'tribute

Aug'ment

Bombard

To abject'

To absent'

To abstract'

To accent'

To affix'

To aseign'

To attribute'

To augment'

To bombard'

Colleague

Col lect

Com'pact

Com'plot

Com'pound

Com'press

Con'cert

Con'crete

Con'duct

Con'fect

Confine

Con'flict

Con'serve

Con'sort

Con'test

Context

Con'tract

Contrast

Con'vert

Con'verse

Con'vict

Con'voy

Des'cant

Des'ert

Detail

Di'gest

Dis'cord

Dis'count

Es'cort

Es'say

Exile

Ex'port

Ex'tract

Fer'ment

Fore'taste

Fre'quent

Im'part

Im'port

Im'press

In'cense

In'crease ln'lay

In'sult

Object

Perfume

Per'mit

Pre'fix

Pre'mise

Presage

Pre'sent

Pro'duce

Proj'ect

To colleague'

To collect'

To compact'

To complot'

To compound'

To com press'

To concert'

To concrete'

To conduct'

To confecf To confine'

To conflict'

To conserve'

To consorf To contest'

To context'

To contract'

To contrast'

To convert'

To converse'

To convict'

To convoy'

To descant To deserf To detail'

To digest'

To discord'

To discountf To escort'

To essay'

To exile'

To export To extract To ferment To foretaste To frequent To impart To import'

To impress'

To incense'

To increase'

To inlay To insult'

To object'

To perfume'

To permit To prefix'

To premise'

To presage'

To present To produce To project'

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To protest'

To rebel'

To record'

To refuse'

To retail'

To subject

To survey'

To torment

To traject'

To transfer'

To transport' is an exception to the above rule, and should always be accented on the last syllable. So also the word consols'.

1611. As a general principle, it may be observed that the syllables of a word are those divisions which are made in a correct pronunciation of it.

1612. The following are, perhaps, the only definite rules that can be given cm this subject.

1613. Two consonants forming but Due sound, as ng, ch, th, sh, ph, wh, are never separated. Thus, we write church-cs, xcorthy, feath-er, ringing, a-tchile, ocean, cian, ceous, cious, cial, tian, tion, tious, tial, geon, gion, geous, gious, sion and sier are seldom divided. Thus, we write, na-tion, o-cean, capa-cious, pi-geon, cap-tious.

1614. Compound words are commonly separated into the simple words, of which they are composed; as, careless, bee-hire, rail- road.

1615. The termination ed, though not always pronounced separately, is regarded in writing as a distinct syllable; as lov-ed, burn-ed.

1616 Derivative and grammatical terminations should generally be separated from the radical word; as, greatly, teach-er, rusk-est, prov-est.