词汇的位置是有其规律的。例如prescribe：有些双音节词汇做名词时重音往往落在首音节上；而做动词时，重音就落在第二音节上了。这些词汇常见的有：addict，accent，abstract，annex等。掌握好并读准的重音有一定的规律可循。为了便于记忆和学习，现将部分规则按重音位置和字母顺序作如下归纳，并从理论上进行简要分析。
一、归类部分
1．重音落在末音节的字母组合
①以-ee结尾，读音为/!>?/的词汇：appellee chimpanzee conferee contestee decree drawee evacuee em-ployee goatee grandee guarantee indictee inductee
②以-act结尾，读音为/$kt/的词汇，多为动词：contact contract detract distract exact enact intact interact
③-air，-aire或-are结尾，读音为/#+/的词汇：affair concessionaire enclair millionaire aware prepare
④以-ade结尾，读音为/eid/的词汇：arcade brigade colonnade escalade escapade（exception：decade）
⑤以-ane结尾，读音为/ein/的词汇：inane insane profane humane
⑥以-ceive结尾，读音为/s!>?v/的动词：conceive deceive perceive receive
⑦以-duce结尾，读音为/dj(>?s/的词汇：conduce deduce induce introduce reduce reproduce subduce traduceseduce
⑧以-ease结尾，读音为/!>?s/或/!>?z/的词汇：appease decease decrease disease increase predecease release sub-lease surcease
⑨以-een结尾，读音为/!>?n/的名词：colleen canteen pretteen Salween shagreen thirteen spalpeenvelevteen yestreen
⑩以-eer结尾，读音为/i+/的名词：cannoneer compeer domineer engineer fronteer gadgeteer gazetterpamphleteer patrioteer
(11)以-ect结尾，读音为/ekt/的动词：affect bisect collect defect direct detect correct confect connectdisinfect eject elect
(12)以-ede结尾，读音为d/的动词：accede antecede concede impede intercede precede recede retrocedesecede supercede
(13)以-end结尾，读音为/end/的动词：attend amend commend comprehend contend defend depend extendintend represend subtend
(14)以-el结尾，读音为/el/的词汇：compel impel Nobel marcel propel rebel（v．）
(15)以-ert结尾，
的词汇：assert concert convert desert introvert subvert
(16)以-ese结尾，
的词汇：Chinese Japanese Napalese sudanese telegraphese vietnamese
(17)以-clude结尾，的动词：conclude exclude include occlude preclude seclude
(18)以-esce结尾，读音为/es/的词汇：coalesce deliquesce effloresce evanesce recrudesce
(19)以-ess结尾，读音为/es/的动词：compress confess depress express impress profess redress represssuppress transgress若不是动词，以-ess结尾，的词汇之重音位置不固定：’progress ‘congress pro’cess un’less
(20)以-est结尾，读音为/est/的动词：adjest congest contest digest infest protest suggest
(21)以-ette结尾，读音为/et/的词汇：cassette cigarette brunette coquette chemisette forssette frisettegazette grisette
(22)以-form结尾的动词：conform perform reform transform（但uniform是名词）
(23)以-ict结尾，读音为/ikt/的动词：afflict conflict constrict contradict inflict predict restric
(24)以-ide结尾，读音为/aid/的词汇：aside astride beside confide divide provide reside subside
(25)以-ign结尾，读音为/ain/的动词：assign condign design consign resign
(26)以-ire结尾，读音为/ai+/的动词：conspire esquire expire desire inquire inspire require respire
(27)以-lapse结尾，读音为/l$ps/的词汇：collapse prolapse relapse
(28)以-mit结尾，读音为/mit/的词汇：admit commit demit emit intermit omit permit pretermit remitsubmit transmit（若是名词，重音落在首音节，如：’limit ‘summit ‘vomit）
(29)以-ort结尾的动词：disport distort escort export import report retort support trans-port（若是名词，重音多落在首音节：escort export import bistort purport等。）
(30)以-ore结尾词汇：afore before deplore explore restore
(31)以-pose结尾，读音为/p+us/、/p+uz/的动词：depose decompose expose impose interpose oppose indispose predis-pose propose suppose
(32)以-scribe结尾，读音为/skraib/的词汇：conscribe describe escribe prescribe subscribe transcribe
(33)以-scend结尾，读音为/send/的词汇：ascend condescend descend transcend
(34)以-oon结尾的词汇：afternoon balloon buffoon cartoon cocoon decocoon dragoon festoongalloon octoroon pocaroon（exception：forenoon）
(35)以-que结尾，读音为/k/的词汇：antique boutique blottesque burlesque arabesque cacique critiquegrotesque Japanesque mystique
(36)以-r结尾，现在分词和过去分词均要双写r（-red，-ring）：demur incur inter infer occur prefer recur refer transfer
(37)以-uct结尾，读音为/)kt/的词汇：conduct construct deduct instruct obstruct product
(38)以-ult结尾的词汇：consult exult insult occult midcult result
(39)以-ume结尾的词汇：assume consume perfume presume subsume
(40)以-use结尾的词汇：accuse confuse excuse perfuse refuse suffuse transfuse
(41)以-ure结尾，读音为/ju+/的词汇：accure impure immure insecure insure inure mature obscure per-dure procure secure（exceptions：’epicure ‘manicure）
2．重音落在倒数第二个音节的字母组合：
①以-ial结尾，读音为/+l/、/i+l/或/j+l/的词汇：/+l/：confidential decrial existential impartial inferential inffluentialinitial prejudicial sacrificial substantial/i+l/：authorial bimestrial colloquial gressorial material mercurialministerial motorial pictorial prefatorial tectorial visitorial/j+l/：antimonial bicentennial colonial
②以-ian结尾，读音为/+n/、/i+n/、/j+n/的词汇：/+n/：academician arithmetician acoustician electrician Eurasian Lin-guistician musician Persian politician practician/i+n/、/j+n/：Cantabrigian collegian Colombian historian rosarian salu-tatorian subclavian
③以-ia结尾，读音为/i+/的词汇：国名、地名：Australia Ethiopia Indonesia Malaysia Mauritania Roma-nia医学：abulia achromatopsia acidemia acrophobia aerophobia bilharziainsomnia其他：academia acedia cryptomeria razzia encyclopedia
④以-ic结尾，读音为/ik/偶或包括以-ics结尾的词汇：atomatic atmospheric autarkic autographic ballistic climatic cosmeticenteric epidemic
⑤以-ior结尾，读音为/i+/的词汇，形容词居多：inferior junior posterior prior senior superior ulterior
⑥以-it结尾，读音为/it/的词汇：cohabit demerit discredit discomfit decrepit deposit explicit dispiritdisinherit inspirit inherit inhabit inhibit reposit transit visit
⑦以-scence（n．）或-scent（adj）结尾：acescence acquiescence deliquescence convalescence evanescence obso-lescence reminiscence renascence decrescent marcescent pubescent re-crudescent quiescent resipiscent suffrutescent
⑧以-ion或-sion结尾：accusaion abolition confusion explosion decision impression persua-sion excitation suggestion invitation
3．重音落在倒数第三个音节的字母组合：
①以-fy结尾，读音为/fai/的动词：acidify identify intensify emulsify lapidify personify qualify modifyprettify simplify transmogrify
②以-ical结尾，读音为/ik+l/的词汇：academical chemical electrical political periodical encyclical teleologi-cal inimical theoretical technological
③以-icide结尾，读音为/isaid/的词汇：suicide aborticide acaricide foeticide fratricide herbicide infanticideliberticide uxoricide
④以-itude结尾的词汇：attitude decrepitude infinitude lassitude latitude platitude
⑤以-ity结尾，读音为/iti/的词汇：ability curiosity civility facility fragility opportunity personalitypossibility sensitivity simplicity speciality utility vanity whimsicality
⑥以-graph或-phy结尾的词汇：aerography bibliography biography calligraphy chirography geographylexicography photography planography telegraphy theosophy philosophy
⑦以-ology结尾的词汇：aerology bibliology bryology crytology ecology Egyptology lexicologytechnology pestology psychology testaceology teleology theology zoology
⑧以-otomy结尾的词汇：neurotomy tenotomy tracheotomy trichotomy
⑨以-ular结尾，读音为/jul+/的词汇：biangular binocular consular insular intercelluar ocular orbicularpopular particular secular regular triangular
4．词汇加了前缀后的重读位置①重读落在第一音节的词汇，加前缀后，重读位置不变：’dazzle—be’dazzle ‘operate—co’operate’force—en’force ‘logical—il’logical’literate—il’literate ‘constant—in’constant②重读落在第二音节的词汇，加前缀后，原重读位置不受影响，但前缀的字母组合作为一个音节可重读或次重读：pro’duce—’repro’duce’graduate—’post’graduate’national—’inter’nationalim’pressionism—’neo-imp’ressionism（the only exception：’finite—’infinie）
二、简析部分从语言学的角度来分析，英语的词重音（word stress）的位置是不固定的。英语与某些别的语言不同，例如：法语词汇的重音总是在词的末音节上；与法语相反的是捷克语，它的重音总是落在词的首音节上，而波兰语却独特一些，重音位置总是落在词汇的倒数第二个音节上，因此，这些语言的重音称为固定重音（fixed stress），而英语和俄语的重音则是自由重音（free stress）。英语本身吸收并借用了大量的外来语（loan words），以历史语言学或词源学（etymology）的观点来剖析，就不难解释为什么英语重音属于自由重音这一现象。例如：以-ion和-ic结尾的英语词汇重音往往落在倒数第二个音节上，而-ion和-ic结尾的字母组合则源于拉丁语。以-ee结尾的英语词汇重音总是落在末音节上，若追溯它的同源词（cognate），我们可以看到-ee这一后缀源于Middle English的-e，而-e又来源于Middle French的-é，若再追本溯源，乃是来自于Old French的-é。再考察以-ette后缀结尾的词汇，－ette后缀也是经历了从Old French到Middle French再到Middle English这一相似的演变过程，直至现在，仍然保留了法语的重音特征，与现代法语的词重音总是落在末音节这一规律完全吻合。