Transform

The word transform can have different stresses. It is more common a a verb than a noun.

• The verb 'to transform' is stressed on the second syllable: 'trans-FORM', IPA: /træ (or ɑː) ns ˈfɔː^rm/.
• The noun 'a transform' is stressed on the first syllable: 'TRANS-form', IPA: /ˈtræ (or ɑː) ns fɔː^rm/. This is a word with technical applications, mostly in Maths, such as a Fourier transform; geology, where one type of fault is a transform fault; Computer Science; and grammar, mostly in Chomskeian generational grammatical analysis.

The two derivatives transformer and transformation are pronounced as 'trans-FORM-er' (IPA: /træ (or ɑː) ns ˈfɔː^rm ə^r/) and 'trans-form-A-tion' (IPA: /træ (or ɑː) ns fɔː^rmˈeɪ ʃ^ən/).

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.