Transport (pronunciation)

The word transport is pronounced in two different ways, depending on whether it is a noun or a verb.

• The noun 'a transport' (or the general non-count abstract noun, as in "transport is an important sector of the economy", often used as an adjective. as in "transport arrangements" or "the transport industry") has the stress on the first syllable: 'TRANS-port', IPA: /ˈtrɑː (or æɑː)ns pɔ^rt/.
• The verb 'to transport' has the stress on the second syllable: 'trans-PORT', IPA: /trə (or ɑː)ns ˈpɔ^rt/. This stressing also applies to such forms as transported, transporter and transporting.
  • The noun transportation is stressed on the third syllable: 'trans-port-EH-shen', IPA: /ˌtrɑː (or æ)ns pɔ^rt ˈeɪʃn/.

You may also want to see an article about the meanings of the word transport, and or or an article about the history and connections of the word at a list of words including the etymological element -port

Note

This pattern of shifting stress in words that look identical but belong to two separate word classes is quite common in English.

Quirk (1985) (Appendix I.56 B) describes the most common: "When verbs of two syllables are converted into nouns, the stress is sometimes shifted from the second to the first syllable. The first syllable, typically a Latin prefix, often has a reduced vowel /ə/ in the verb but a full vowel in the noun: He was con-VICT-ed (IPA: /kən ˈvɪkt ɪd/) of theft, and so became a CON vict (IPA: /ˈkɒn vɪkt/)" [AWE's rendition of IPA].

There follows a list of some 57 "words having end-stress as verbs but initial stress as nouns in Br[itish] E[nglish]." Note that "in Am[erican] E[nglish], many have initial stress as verbs also". Quirk's list is the foundation of AWE's category:shift of stress. Additions have been made from, amongst others, Fowler, 1926-1996.