Stress on the Second-Last Syllable

Level 1

In most Welsh words, the second-last syllable is the strong one: BA-ra (bread), CYM-ru (Wales).

How It Works

Stress is the syllable you say a little louder and longer. In Welsh it is usually the second-last syllable:

  • BA-ra (bread), CYM-ru (Wales), CROE-so (welcome), DI-olch (thanks)
  • pri-FYS-gol (university), Llan-ELL-i, A-ber-YST-wyth, A-ber-TA-we (Swansea)

The stress moves when a word grows. Add an ending and the stress shifts to keep its place: CATH → CATH-od (cats), LLYFR (book) → LLYF-rau (books), pri-FYS-gol → pri-fys-GOL-ion (universities).

A few words stress the last syllable. Learn these as you meet them: Cym-RAEG (the Welsh language), pryn-HAWN (afternoon), ym-LAEN (forward, on), Caer-DYDD (Cardiff). Verb-nouns ending in -hau, such as glan-HAU (to clean), do the same. Notice the pair CYM-ru and Cym-RAEG: they look alike but are stressed differently.

Stress also helps you read y: a y in any syllable before the last is the short "uh" sound, even when that syllable is stressed, as in CYM-ru. See W and Y as vowels.

Examples (6)

  1. Dw i'n caru Cymru.

    I love Wales.

    CA-ru and CYM-ru: the stress is on the second-last syllable.

  2. Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg?

    Do you speak Welsh?

    SIA-rad follows the rule; Cym-RAEG is stressed on the last syllable.

  3. Prynhawn da!

    Good afternoon!

    Pryn-HAWN is stressed on the last syllable.

  4. Mae'r brifysgol yn Aberystwyth.

    The university is in Aberystwyth.

    Bri-FYS-gol and A-ber-YST-wyth: second-last syllable.

  5. Dewch ymlaen!

    Come on!

    Ym-LAEN is stressed on the last syllable.

  6. Mae'r bara'n ffres.

    The bread is fresh.

    BA-ra: the stress is on the first of its two syllables.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Stress on the Second-Last SyllableLevel 1

Learn This First

Counting syllables for penultimate stress requires recognising w and y as vowels.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.