Word Stress Maze Activity
A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS
Words stressed on the first syllable practice through a maze puzzle, with two versions and an optional presentation stage where students try to work out patterns in which kinds of words have which kind of stress.
Lesson Plan Content:
Word stress maze activity
Trace a route through the maze by only following the words which are stressed on the first syllable, starting at the top-left corner. You can go left, right, up or down from each square. When you think that you have finished, your teacher will tell you which square you should finish on and then how many squares are stressed on the first syllable, so you can try again if you haven’t matched those things.
Version 1
|
accent
|
volleyball |
career |
energy |
equal |
export (n) |
|
convenience
|
update (n) |
coordinator |
Egypt |
deflation |
greenhouse |
|
cooperation
|
alcohol |
break up (v) |
concert |
Australia |
image |
|
photographer
|
allergy |
energetic |
collar |
upgraded |
Italy |
|
exported
|
Austria |
make up (v) |
coffee |
tobacco |
makeup (n) |
|
pyjamas
|
breakup |
broken |
cocktail |
update (v) |
ticket |
Version 2
|
litre
|
begin |
accelerator |
luxurious |
multitasking |
complaint |
|
nonsense
|
orange |
Brazil |
bucket |
dozen |
humour |
|
presented
|
present (n) |
Mongolia |
cauliflower |
cashier |
Paris |
|
restaurant
|
radio |
enthusiasm |
eyebrow |
dis-advantage |
Thailand |
|
cottage
|
machine |
romantic |
helicopter |
mechanic |
pineapple |
|
England
|
hamburger |
liquid |
discount (n) |
again |
lever |
Mark the stress on the other words to make sure that none of them are stressed on the first syllable.
Word stress maze activity answers
The words stressed on the first syllable are in bold. The stressed syllable of the other words is written in each square.
Version 1
|
accent
|
volleyball |
career (2nd) |
energy |
equal |
export (n) |
|
convenience (2nd) |
update (n) |
coordinator (2nd) |
Egypt |
deflation (2nd) |
greenhouse |
|
cooperation (4th) |
alcohol |
break up (v) (2nd) |
concert |
Australia (2nd) |
image |
|
photographer (2nd) |
allergy |
energetic (3rd) |
collar |
upgraded (2nd) |
Italy |
|
exported (2nd) |
Austria |
make up (v) (2nd) |
coffee |
tobacco (2nd) |
makeup (n) |
|
pyjamas (2nd) |
breakup |
broken |
cocktail |
update (v) (2nd) |
ticket |
Version 2
|
litre
|
begin (2nd) |
accelerator (2nd) |
luxurious (2nd) |
multitasking (3rd) |
complaint (2nd) |
|
nonsense
|
orange |
Brazil (2nd) |
bucket |
dozen |
humour |
|
presented (2nd) |
present (n) |
Mongolia (2nd) |
cauliflower |
cashier (2nd) |
Paris |
|
restaurant
|
radio |
enthusiasm (2nd) |
eyebrow |
dis-advantage (3rd) |
Thailand |
|
cottage
|
machine (2nd) |
romantic (2nd) |
helicopter |
mechanic (2nd) |
pineapple |
|
England
|
hamburger |
liquid |
discount (n) |
again (2nd) |
lever |
Use the words above to find out the word stress rules for these kinds of words:
- Most nouns
- Nouns and verbs with the same form (including phrasal verbs and nouns from them)
- Schwa (the “er” sound in “computer”)
- Prefixes like “un-” and “mis-”
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