This study demonstrates the pattern of English (primary) word stress in
polysyllabic words by Hong Kong ESL (English as a second language) learners and the effect of suffixation on the stress placements by four types of suffixes that shift strong stress to the antepenultimate (third from the last), penultimate (second from the last), and ultimate (last) syllables as well as those do not shift strong stress. The data were collected from eight undergraduates from the universities in Hong Kong, by recording their oral-reading of a word list.