This introduction covers Las dos reglas de acento — The Two Default Stress Rules within Stress patterns + written accents for GCSE Spanish. Revise Stress patterns + written accents in Phonics & Pronunciation (SSC) for GCSE Spanish with 11 exam-style questions and 10 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📏 Las dos reglas de acento — The Two Default Stress Rules
Rule 1 — word ends in a vowel, n, or s → stress the PENULTIMATE (second-to-last) syllable
| Word | Syllables | Stressed syllable |
|---|---|---|
| casa | CA-sa | CA |
| hablan | HA-blan | HA |
| coches | CO-ches | CO |
| libro | LI-bro | LI |
Rule 2 — word ends in any other consonant → stress the LAST syllable
| Word | Syllables | Stressed syllable |
|---|---|---|
| hablar | ha-BLAR | BLAR |
| ciudad | ciu-DAD | DAD |
| papel | pa-PEL | PEL |
| reloj | re-LOJ | LOJ |
⭐ The big picture
These two rules cover the vast majority of Spanish words. When neither applies — because the stress falls somewhere unexpected — a written accent overrides the rule and shows you exactly where to stress.