1.What this page explains
This reference page brings together the main rules and tendencies of German word stress. It is designed as a cross-level reference: from common basic patterns to complex prefixes, compounds, and loanwords.
Word stress means:
One syllable within a word is more prominent
than the other syllables.
Examples:
ARbeiten
beZAHLEN
HAUStür
InforMAtion
On this page, the main stressed syllable is usually marked with CAPITAL LETTERS:
ARbeiten
verSTEHen
EINkaufen
HAUStür
UniversiTÄT
If there is also secondary stress:
primary stress
secondary stress
a complex word may contain more than one audible prominence, but normally only one syllable carries the strongest lexical stress.
Core idea:
German word stress follows many regular patterns, but it cannot be predicted completely from spelling.
When learning a new word, it is therefore useful to learn word form + meaning + pronunciation + stress together.
This page is reference material. It contains no exercises or tests.
2.1. What is word stress?
Word stress is the strongest prosodic prominence within a lexical word.
Examples:
ARbeiten
beZAHLEN
3.2. Stress is more than loudness
Stressed syllables can be highlighted through pitch, duration, clarity, and intensity. Loudness alone does not create correct stress.
Examples:
Wortakzent = Kombination mehrerer akustischer Signale
4.3. Primary stress
Primary stress is the strongest prominence in the word.
Examples:
UniversiTÄT
5.4. Secondary stress
Long compounds and complex words may also carry secondary stress.
Examples:
BUNdesREgierung
6.5. Word stress vs sentence stress
Word stress belongs to the word; sentence stress additionally determines which word is highlighted in the utterance.
Examples:
Wir fahren am FREItag.
7.6. Stress can distinguish meaning
In some prefixed verbs, meaning or separability depends on stress placement.
Examples:
UMfahren ↔ umFAHren
8.7. Stress can signal structure
Stress helps listeners identify morphological structure, especially in prefix verbs and compounds.
Examples:
EINkaufen
verKAUfen
9.8. Recognizing syllables
To identify word stress, first recognize how many syllables the word contains.
Examples:
Ar-bei-ten
be-zah-len
In-for-ma-ti-on
10.9. Stressed syllables remain clearer
Unstressed syllables are often reduced, while stressed syllables remain more clearly articulated.
Examples:
ARbeiten
11.10. Schwa and unstressed syllables
Endings such as -e, -en, and -er are often unstressed and may be phonetically reduced.
Examples:
ARbei-ten
LEH-rer
12.11. Spelling only indirectly signals stress
German spelling normally does not mark word stress directly.
Examples:
Universität → Akzent muss gelernt werden
13.12. Dictionary stress marking
Dictionaries mark primary stress using accent marks, underlining, bold type, or IPA notation depending on the system.
Examples:
[ˌuni...ˈtɛːt] → Hauptakzent vor der betonten Silbe
14.13. Simple native words
Many simple native German words carry primary stress on the first stem syllable.
Examples:
ARbeit
FENster
MORgen
WINter
15.14. Polysyllabic base words
In many polysyllabic base words, stress also remains relatively early.
Examples:
ARbeiten
WANdern
ZEItung
16.15. Inflectional endings are normally unstressed
Grammatical endings normally do not shift lexical word stress.
Examples:
MAchen → MAche → MAchen
KINder → KINdern
17.16. Plural formation and stress
With regular plural formation, stress normally stays on the same stem syllable.
Examples:
TAge → TAgen
BÜcher → BÜchern
18.17. Comparative and superlative
The comparative and superlative endings -er and -st normally do not receive new primary stress.
Examples:
SCHNELL → SCHNELler → am SCHNELLsten
19.18. Suffix -ung
-ung is normally unstressed; stress remains on the stem.
Examples:
ENTwickeln → ENTwicklung
PRÜfen → PRÜfung
20.19. Suffixes -heit and -keit
-heit and -keit normally do not carry primary stress.
Examples:
FREIheit
MÖGlichkeit
21.20. Suffix -schaft
-schaft is usually unstressed or clearly weaker than the stem in ordinary derivations.
Examples:
FREUNDschaft
WISsenschaft
22.21. Suffix -lich
-lich normally does not carry primary stress.
Examples:
FREUNDlich
MÖGlich
23.22. Suffix -isch
-isch is unstressed in many native derivations; loanwords may show more complex patterns.
Examples:
KINdisch
poLItisch
24.23. Suffix -bar
-bar normally does not receive primary stress.
Examples:
LESbar
ERreichbar
25.24. Suffix -los
-los is normally weaker than the stem.
Examples:
ENDlos
HILFlos
26.25. Suffix -chen
The diminutive suffix -chen is unstressed.
Examples:
MÄDchen
HÄUSchen
27.26. Suffix -lein
-lein normally does not carry primary stress in diminutives.
Examples:
BÜCHlein
28.27. Derivation does not always shift stress
Many native derivational suffixes leave primary stress on the original stem syllable.
Examples:
FREUND → FREUNDlich → FREUNDlichkeit
29.28. Learn word families together
In word families, check whether stress remains stable or shifts because of a new foreign suffix.
Examples:
AKtiv → AktiviTÄT
30.29. Inseparable prefixes
The common inseparable prefixes be-, ge-, er-, ver-, zer-, ent-, emp-, miss- are normally unstressed.
Examples:
beZAHLEN
verSTEHen
entDECKen
31.30. Prefix be-
be- is unstressed; primary stress falls on the stem.
Examples:
beKOMMen
beSUchen
32.31. Prefix ver-
ver- is normally unstressed.
Examples:
verSTEHen
verKAUfen
33.32. Prefix ent-
ent- is normally unstressed.
Examples:
entSCHEIden
entDECKen
34.33. Prefix er-
er- is normally unstressed.
Examples:
erZÄHlen
erKENnen
35.34. Separable prefixes
In separable verbs, the prefix typically carries primary stress.
Examples:
EINkaufen
ANfangen
AUFstehen
36.35. Prefix an-
As a separable verbal prefix, an- is stressed.
Examples:
ANfangen
ANrufen
37.36. Prefix auf-
auf- is stressed as a separable prefix.
Examples:
AUFstehen
AUFmachen
38.37. Prefix ein-
ein- carries primary stress in separable verbs.
Examples:
EINkaufen
EINladen
39.38. Prefix aus-
aus- is stressed in separable verbs.
Examples:
AUSgehen
AUSfüllen
40.39. Prefix mit-
mit- is typically stressed in separable verbs.
Examples:
MITkommen
MITmachen
41.40. Prefix vor-
When separable, vor- normally carries stress.
Examples:
VORstellen
42.41. Prefix zurück-
zurück- is clearly stressed as a separable verbal element.
Examples:
zuRÜCKkommen
zuRÜCKgeben
43.42. Past participles of separable verbs
In separable verbs, stress remains on the prefix in the past participle.
Examples:
EINgekauft
ANgerufen
44.43. Past participles of inseparable verbs
With inseparable prefixes, the stem remains stressed and no additional ge- appears.
Examples:
verSTANden
beZAHLT
45.44. Prefix stress as a separability signal
With many verbs, stress helps indicate whether the prefix is separable.
Examples:
EINkaufen → trennbar
verKAUfen → untrennbar
46.45. Ambiguous prefixes
Some prefixes may be separable or inseparable depending on meaning, with corresponding stress differences.
Examples:
UMfahren ↔ umFAHren
47.46. Prefixes that may shift stress
Especially important are durch-, über-, um-, unter-, wieder-, and certain similar lexical patterns.
Examples:
ÜBERsetzen ↔ überSETZen
48.47. umfahren: two stress patterns
Stressed UM- typically signals a separable verb; unstressed um- an inseparable one.
Examples:
UMfahren ↔ umFAHren
49.48. übersetzen: two stress patterns
Stress can distinguish separable spatial meaning from inseparable lexicalized meaning.
Examples:
ÜBERsetzen ↔ überSETZen
50.49. Prefix durch-
durch- may be stressed and separable or unstressed and inseparable depending on the verb and meaning.
Examples:
DURCHlesen
durchSUchen
51.50. Prefix unter-
unter- also shows different lexical patterns; stress should be learned with the verb.
Examples:
UNtergehen
unterSUchen
52.51. Prefix wieder-
When meaning again, wieder- is often stressed and separable.
Examples:
WIEderholen im Sinn von erneut holen
53.52. Prefix wider-
wider- should not be confused with wieder-; such words should be learned lexically.
Examples:
WIderstand
54.53. Learn prefix, stress, and meaning together
With potentially ambiguous prefixes, spelling alone is not enough.
Examples:
Akzent ist Teil der lexikalischen Information.
55.54. Stress and perfect formation
Separability, stress, and participle formation are systematically related, even though individual lexemes must be learned.
Examples:
EINgekauft ↔ verkauft
56.55. Stress and word order
With separable verbs, the lexically stressed particle remains prominent even when separated in the sentence.
Examples:
Ich kaufe heute EIN.
57.56. Infinitive with zu
With separable verbs, zu stands between prefix and stem while primary stress remains on the prefix.
Examples:
EINzukaufen
58.57. Nominalization of prefix verbs
In nominalized infinitives, the verb's lexical stress pattern usually remains.
Examples:
das EINkaufen
das verSTEHen
59.58. Lexicalization can stabilize a pattern
In frequent lexical items, stress is part of the established word form and should not always be re-derived from a rule.
Examples:
verSTEHen als feste Form
60.59. Not every prefix is equally productive
Some patterns apply to large verb groups; others occur only in a small number of lexicalized words.
Examples:
Regel + Lexikon zusammen denken
61.60. Check prefixed verbs in a dictionary
For unfamiliar prefixed verbs, pay particular attention to separability and stress marking in the dictionary.
Examples:
trennbar? untrennbar? wo liegt der Akzent?
62.61. Compounds: core rule
In many German noun compounds, primary stress falls on the first component.
Examples:
HAUStür
BAHNhof
KINderzimmer
63.62. First element carries primary stress
The first component is usually prosodically stronger than the second.
Examples:
KAFFeemaschine
64.63. Second element remains audible
The second component may carry secondary stress, especially in longer compounds.
Examples:
BUNdesREgierung
65.64. Multi-part compounds
Long compounds develop a stress hierarchy: primary stress, one or more secondary stresses, and unstressed syllables.
Examples:
UMweltschutzorganisation
66.65. Morphological structure helps
To stress a long compound, first identify its components.
Examples:
Datenschutz + Gesetz → DATenschutzgesetz
67.66. Linking elements do not carry primary stress
Linking elements such as -s-, -n-, or -en- do not themselves receive primary stress.
Examples:
ARbeitsplatz
KINderzimmer
68.67. Compound vs phrase
Stress can help distinguish a lexical compound from a free phrase.
Examples:
GRÜNtee ↔ grüner TEE
69.68. Names inside compounds
Names and abbreviations inside the first component may retain internal stress while the whole compound gains an additional hierarchy.
Examples:
EU-Projekt
70.69. Compound adjectives
Compound adjectives also often show early primary stress.
Examples:
KOHlenstoffneutral
71.70. Verbal compounds and particle structures
With verbs, distinguish true compounds, particle verbs, and prefix verbs.
Examples:
KENnenlernen
EINkaufen
verSTEHen
72.71. Compounds with numbers
In compounds with numerals, the numeral may be strongly prominent, especially when contrastive.
Examples:
DREIzimmerwohnung
73.72. Hyphens do not automatically change stress
A hyphen makes components more visible but does not mechanically determine primary stress.
Examples:
Online-Shop
74.73. Long technical terms
For technical terms, first identify compound boundaries and then determine the stress hierarchy.
Examples:
DATenschutzgrundverordnung
75.74. Build compounds in layers
When looking up a complex word, break it into components from right to left, then check stress in the full compound.
Examples:
Verordnung ← Grundverordnung ← Datenschutzgrundverordnung
76.75. Loanwords have their own stress patterns
Loanwords often follow different stress patterns from native German words.
Examples:
InforMAtion
UniversiTÄT
77.76. Suffix -ieren
Verbs ending in -ieren normally carry primary stress on the syllable immediately before the final -ren sequence, conventionally heard in the -ieren pattern.
Examples:
stuDIEren
organiSIEren
diskuTIEren
78.77. Past participles of -ieren verbs
-ieren verbs form the past participle without ge-; stress normally stays on the same syllable.
Examples:
stuDIERT
organiSIERT
79.78. Suffix -tion
Many words ending in -tion have a late stress pattern, typically in the syllable immediately preceding the ending.
Examples:
InformaTION
OrganisaTION
80.79. Suffix -ität
-ität strongly attracts stress; primary stress typically falls on -tät.
Examples:
UniversiTÄT
AktiviTÄT
81.80. Suffix -ie
Many words ending in -ie have late stress, often on the final syllable.
Examples:
Energie → EnerGIE
BioloGIE
82.81. Suffix -logie
In words ending in -logie, primary stress typically falls on the -gie syllable.
Examples:
BioloGIE
TechnoLOGIE
83.82. Suffix -ismus
-ismus normally does not itself carry primary stress; stress often falls on a preceding syllable.
Examples:
ReaLISmus
TourISmus
84.83. Suffix -ist
Person nouns ending in -ist often carry late stress.
Examples:
JournaLIST
PiaNIST
85.84. Suffix -ik
Words ending in -ik show varying stress patterns; the individual word should be checked lexically.
Examples:
POlitik
MuSIK
86.85. Suffix -or
Words ending in -or show different patterns; stress is often late, but there is no single universal rule.
Examples:
ProfesSOR
MOtor
87.86. Internationalisms
Internationally similar words may have different stress in German than in English, French, or the learner's first language.
Examples:
UniversiTÄT
88.87. Anglicisms
Anglicisms may preserve, adapt, or vary in their original stress pattern.
Examples:
COMputer
OnLINE
89.88. French loanwords
French loanwords may show late stress in German, with differing degrees of integration.
Examples:
ResTAUrant
90.89. Greek-Latin word formation
In scientific internationalisms, recurring suffixes help predict stress.
Examples:
-ität
-logie
-tion
91.90. Check loanword stress in a dictionary
For long or rare loanwords, dictionary stress marking is more reliable than analogy alone.
Examples:
Regel hilft – Wörterbuch entscheidet im Zweifel.
92.91. Stress variation
Some words have regional, technical, or competing stress variants.
Examples:
Variation ist Teil realer Standardsprache.
93.92. Proper names
In personal names, place names, and company names, stress is often lexical and not reliably predictable from spelling.
Examples:
Namen im Zweifel nachschlagen.
94.93. Abbreviations and initialisms
Stress in abbreviations depends on whether they are pronounced as a sequence of letter names or as a lexical word.
Examples:
EU
NATO
95.94. Stress in numbers and letter sequences
In long numbers, codes, and abbreviations, prosodic grouping may be more relevant than ordinary lexical stress.
Examples:
Telefonnummern werden gruppiert.
96.95. Reference algorithm
For unfamiliar words, a fixed sequence is useful.
1. Ist es ein einfaches Wort, eine Ableitung, ein Präfixverb oder ein Kompositum?
2. Gibt es ein häufiges unbetontes Präfix wie be-, ver-, ent-, er-?
3. Gibt es ein trennbares, normalerweise betontes Präfix?
4. Ist das Wort ein Kompositum mit frühem Hauptakzent?
5. Enthält es ein Fremdsuffix wie -ieren, -tion, -ität, -ie, -logie?
6. Gibt es bekannte Akzentvarianten?
7. Im Zweifel: Wörterbuchangabe prüfen.
97.96. What to remember
German word stress is patterned, but partly lexical.
einfache heimische Wörter → häufig früher Akzent
Flexionsendungen → normalerweise unbetont
be-, ver-, ent-, er- ... → normalerweise unbetont
trennbare Präfixe → typischerweise betont
Komposita → häufig Hauptakzent auf dem Erstglied
-ung, -heit, -keit, -lich, -bar ... → meist unbetont
-ieren, -tion, -ität, -ie, -logie → typische Fremdwortmuster
um-, über-, unter-, durch- ... → Akzent kann Trennbarkeit/Bedeutung unterscheiden
Fremdwörter und Eigennamen → im Zweifel nachschlagen
98.Summary
Common basic patterns
ARbeiten
FENster
MORgen
Many simple native words have early stress.
Common unstressed prefixes
beZAHLEN
verSTEHen
entDECKen
erKENnen
Typically unstressed:
be-
ge-
er-
ver-
zer-
ent-
emp-
miss-
Typically stressed separable prefixes
EINkaufen
ANrufen
AUFstehen
AUSgehen
MITkommen
Stress that distinguishes structure or meaning
UMfahren ↔ umFAHren
ÜBERsetzen ↔ überSETZen
Common compounds
HAUStür
BAHNhof
KAFFeemaschine
Primary stress often falls on the first component.
Common suffix patterns
FREUNDlich
FREIheit
ENTwicklung
LESbar
These native suffixes normally do not carry primary stress.
Loanword patterns
stuDIEren
InformaTION
UniversiTÄT
BioloGIE
JournaLIST
Spelling alone does not always predict reliable pronunciation. Learn new words together with their stress pattern and check a dictionary when uncertain.