Stress-shift pair

Is it TRANS-port or trans-PORT? "Transport" as a noun vs a verb

"Transport" is pronounced two ways depending on whether it is a noun or a verb. As a noun it is TRANS-port, with the stress on the first syllable; as a verb it is trans-PORT, with the stress on the second. The spelling never changes β€” only which syllable you emphasise.

Hear both pronunciations

noun

TRANS-port

a means of moving people/goods

β€œPublic transport is cheap.”

verb

trans-PORT

to move from one place to another

β€œTrucks transport the goods.”

Each button speaks the respelling, not the spelling β€” otherwise the speech engine would pick a single default pronunciation for both senses.

Side by side

PronunciationPart of speechMeaning
TRANS-portnouna means of moving people/goods
trans-PORTverbto move from one place to another

The pattern behind this

English tends to put the stress at the front for the noun and at the back for the verb. Once you notice it, dozens of words follow the same rule β€” see word stress rules in English.

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "transport"?β–Ύ

"Transport" is pronounced two ways depending on whether it is a noun or a verb. As a noun it is TRANS-port, with the stress on the first syllable; as a verb it is trans-PORT, with the stress on the second. The spelling never changes β€” only which syllable you emphasise.

Which syllable is stressed in "transport"?β–Ύ

The noun stresses the first syllable (TRANS-port) and the verb stresses the second (trans-PORT). This front-stress-for-nouns, back-stress-for-verbs pattern covers dozens of common English word pairs.

Does the spelling of "transport" change between the noun and the verb?β–Ύ

No. "transport" is spelled identically in both cases β€” only the stressed syllable moves, which is why the two forms sound different when spoken but look the same when written.

More stress-shift pairs

Keep going

See the full entry for β€œtransport”, browse all 76 heteronyms and stress pairs, or learn how English stress works.