For many loanwords from French, AmE has final-syllable stress , while BrE stresses an earlier syllable. French loanwords that differ in stress only are listed below. Also some French names, including: Dunkirk , Niger [ nb 96 ]. Most 2-syllable verbs ending in -ate have first-syllable stress in AmE and second-syllable stress in BrE.
Examples where AmE and BrE match include conflate , create , equate , elate , inflate , negate , sedate ; and probate with first-syllable stress. Derived nouns in -ator retain the distinction, but those in -ation do not.
Also, migratory B2 [ 72 ] and vibratory B2 [ 73 ] sometimes retain the distinction. Most longer -ate verbs are pronounced the same in AmE and BrE, but a few have first-syllable stress in BrE and second-syllable stress in AmE: demarcate a A2 , elongate a A2 , impregnate B1 , incarnate A2 , inculcate , inculpate , infiltrate A1 , remonstrate ab A2 , [ 74 ] sequestrate , tergiversate a A1 [ nb 99 ].
The following table lists words not brought up in the discussion so far where the main difference between AmE and BrE is in stress. Usually, it also follows a reduction of the unstressed vowel. Words marked with subscript A or B are exceptions to this, and thus retains a full vowel in the relatively unstressed syllable of AmE or BrE. Words with other points of difference are listed in a later table. Exceptions include library , [ 91 ] primary A2 , [ 92 ] rosemary. The placename component -bury e.
Stress differences between the dialects occur with some words ending in -atory listed above and a few others like capillary included in Miscellaneous stress above. Formerly the BrE—AmE distinction for adjectives carried over to corresponding adverbs ending -arily , -erily or -orily.
