The general tendency of the English language is to throw the accent
toward the beginning of a word, just as in French the tendency is to
throw it toward the end. Words of two and three syllables are regularly
accented on the first syllable; but if the second syllable is stronger
than the first, it will get the accent. Thus we have _sum'mer, ar'gue,
pres'ent,_ etc.; but _agree', resolve', retain',_ etc.* We have
indicated above a natural reason why it cannot fail in the cases
mentioned. The voice would be incapable of accenting easily the
unimportant prefix in such a word as _ac-cuse',_ for instance.
Sometimes the strength of both syllables in words of two syllables is
equal, and then the accent may be placed on either at will, as in the
case of _re'tail,_ and _retail', pro'ceed_ and _proceed',_ etc.
There are about sixty of these words capable of being differently
accented according to meaning. The verb usually takes the accent on the
last syllable. In words in which it seems desirable on account of the
meaning to accent the first syllable when the second syllable is
naturally stronger, that second syllable is deliberately shortened in
the pronunciation, as in _moun'tain, cur'tain,_ etc.
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