The Suffixes That Grab the Stress
Most English suffixes either leave the stress alone (like -ness, -ment, -ly) or shift it to a nearby syllable (like -tion, -ic, -ity). But there is a special group of suffixes that behave differently: they always take the main stress themselves. No matter what base word they attach to, the stress lands directly on these suffixes every single time.
These are called stress-attracting suffixes (sometimes called "auto-stressed" suffixes), and they are one of the most reliable pronunciation rules in English. Once you memorize this short list, you can confidently pronounce hundreds of words without looking them up.
Why This Rule Is So Useful
Unlike most stress rules that have many exceptions, stress-attracting suffixes are remarkably consistent. If you see a word ending in -ee, -eer, -ese, -ette, -oo, -ique, -esque, or -ade, you can almost always place the primary stress on that suffix. The few exceptions are easy to learn and we will cover them below.
This is the perfect complement to stress-neutral suffixes, which never move the stress. Together, these two rules cover a huge number of English words.
1. The -EE Suffix
The suffix -ee typically means "the person who receives an action" (the employee is employed, the trainee is trained). The stress always falls on -EE itself.
Notice the pattern: em-ploy-EE, train-EE, ref-u-gEE, guar-an-tEE. The stress always lands on the final syllable.
The -EE Exception
Words like coffee /ˈkɔːfi/ and toffee /ˈtɔːfi/ end in the letters "ee" but do not use the -ee suffix. They are simply words that happen to end in those letters. The stress-attracting rule applies to the suffix -ee (meaning "one who receives"), not to every word that ends in the letters e-e.
2. The -EER Suffix
The suffix -eer typically means "a person who does something" or "one associated with." Like -ee, the stress always falls on -EER.
The pattern is consistent: vol-un-TEER, en-gi-NEER, pi-o-NEER, ca-REER, auc-tion-EER.
3. The -ESE Suffix
The suffix -ese is used for languages and nationalities. The stress always falls on -ESE.
Every time: Jap-a-NESE, Chi-NESE, Por-tu-GUESE, Vi-et-na-MESE. The -ese suffix always carries the main stress.
4. The -ETTE Suffix
The suffix -ette comes from French and often means "small" or "imitation." The stress falls on -ETTE.
The pattern holds: cas-SETTE, bru-NETTE, sil-hou-ETTE, ga-ZETTE.
The -ETTE Exception
A notable exception is etiquette /ˈɛtɪkɛt/, where the stress falls on the first syllable rather than on -ette. This is because the word was borrowed from French as a complete unit rather than being formed with the -ette suffix in English.
5. The -OO Suffix
Words ending in -oo consistently take the stress on the final syllable.
Always on the last syllable: sham-POO, bam-BOO, tat-TOO, ta-BOO, kan-ga-ROO.
6. The -IQUE and -ESQUE Suffixes
These French-origin suffixes always attract the stress to themselves.
u-NIQUE, tech-NIQUE, an-TIQUE, pic-tur-ESQUE. The stress always lands right on these endings.
7. The -ADE Suffix
The suffix -ade (from French and Italian) also attracts stress to itself.
lem-on-ADE, ar-CADE, pa-RADE. The -ade ending always gets the stress.
Stress-Attracting vs. Stress-Neutral: The Big Picture
Understanding both types of suffixes gives you a powerful system for predicting pronunciation. Here is a side-by-side comparison.
| Suffix Type | Behavior | Examples | Stress Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stress-Attracting | Stress falls ON the suffix | -ee, -eer, -ese, -ette, -oo | employEE, voluntEER |
| Stress-Neutral | Stress stays on the base word | -ness, -ment, -ly, -ful, -less | HAPpiness, enJOYment |
| Stress-Shifting | Stress moves to the syllable before the suffix | -tion, -ic, -ity, -ial | eduCAtion, ecoNOMic |
Complete Reference: All Stress-Attracting Suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Example Words | Notable Exceptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ee | receiver of an action | employee, trainee, refugee, guarantee, degree | coffee, toffee (not true -ee suffix) |
| -eer | person associated with | volunteer, engineer, pioneer, career, auctioneer | (very few) |
| -ese | language / nationality | Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Vietnamese | (none) |
| -ette | small / imitation | cassette, brunette, silhouette, gazette | etiquette |
| -oo | (various origins) | shampoo, bamboo, tattoo, taboo, kangaroo | (very few) |
| -ique | French origin | unique, technique, antique, boutique | (none) |
| -esque | in the style of | picturesque, grotesque, arabesque | (none) |
| -ade | action / product | lemonade, arcade, parade, blockade | (very few) |
Why These Suffixes Attract Stress
There is a linguistic reason behind this pattern. Most of these suffixes were borrowed from French, where words are naturally stressed on the final syllable. When English adopted these suffixes, it kept the French stress pattern. That is why they feel "heavier" and naturally pull the stress toward themselves.
This is also why many of these words feel slightly more formal or elevated in English. Words like gazette, silhouette, technique, and picturesque retain a French flavor in both their spelling and their pronunciation.
Practice Exercise: Where Does the Stress Fall?
For each word below, identify the stress-attracting suffix and predict where the stress falls.
- addressee
- mountaineer
- Taiwanese
- marionette
- voodoo
- boutique
- barricade
Answers:
- addressEE /ˌædrɛˈsiː/ (suffix -ee)
- mountainEER /ˌmaʊntɪˈnɪr/ (suffix -eer)
- TaiwanESE /ˌtaɪwɑːˈniːz/ (suffix -ese)
- marionETTE /ˌmɛriəˈnɛt/ (suffix -ette)
- vooDOO /ˈvuːduː/ (suffix -oo)
- bouTIQUE /buːˈtiːk/ (suffix -ique)
- barriCADE /ˌbærɪˈkeɪd/ (suffix -ade)
Practice Exercise: Attracting or Neutral?
Decide whether each suffix is stress-attracting (stress ON the suffix) or stress-neutral (stress stays on the base word).
- employ + -ee = employee
- employ + -ment = employment
- employ + -er = employer
Answers:
- employEE (-ee is stress-attracting, stress moves to the suffix)
- emPLOYment (-ment is stress-neutral, stress stays on the base word)
- emPLOYer (-er is stress-neutral, stress stays on the base word)
This is exactly why knowing both categories matters. The same base word, "employ," produces three different stress patterns depending on which suffix you add.
Memory Tip
Here is a simple way to remember the stress-attracting suffixes. Think of them as "French endings" since most of them came from French: -ee, -eer, -ese, -ette, -oo, -ique, -esque, -ade. When you see any of these at the end of an English word, place the main stress right on that ending. You will be correct the vast majority of the time.
Summary
Stress-attracting suffixes are one of the most reliable rules in English pronunciation. Unlike most suffix patterns that require you to count syllables or find the base word, these suffixes make it simple: the stress falls directly on the suffix itself. Memorize the list (-ee, -eer, -ese, -ette, -oo, -ique, -esque, -ade), watch for the few exceptions like coffee and etiquette, and you will instantly know how to stress hundreds of English words correctly.