Nouns vs. Verbs
Noun: a word that represents a person, place, thing or idea.
Verb: a word that presents an action, state or occurrence.
Words that are both Nouns and Verbs
Some words can be used as both nouns and verbs, depending on the context. These words can be further divided into 2 groups:
• Group 1: For some words, whether they are used as nouns or verbs, their pronunciation stays the same. Simple enough, right? You don’t need to worry too much about saying them incorrectly.
Example: answer
As a noun: Can you give me an answer before 3 pm?
As a verb: I want to answer that question.
• Group 2: Some other words change pronunciation depending on whether they are used as a verb or a noun. This can be a bit tricky for English learners.
Example: record
As a noun: He needs to provide his medical record.
As a verb: I will record this meeting.
The difference in pronunciation is found in the emphasis. The rule is that as a noun, the word will have emphasis on the first syllable, and as a verb, it will have emphasis on the second syllable.
Other examples:
• Play
• Smile
• Sound
• Whisper (first group)
• Transport (second group)
• Promise (first group)