In the following options lettered A to D, all the words except one have the same stress pattern. Identify the one with the different stress pattern.

Analyze the question: We need the word whose stress pattern differs from the others. All four are two-syllable words, so we check which syllable carries the stress.

Concept: In two-syllable words, stress falls on either the first syllable (e.g., TAble) or the second (e.g., beGIN).

Step-by-step:

• A. undo /ʌnˈduː/: stress on the second syllable (un-DO)
• B. ado /əˈduː/: stress on the second syllable (a-DO)
• C. unless /ənˈles/: stress on the second syllable (un-LESS)
• D. legal /ˈliːɡl̩/: stress on the first syllable (LE-gal)

Three words (undo, ado, unless) are stressed on the second syllable. Only legal is stressed on the first syllable.

Answer: The odd one out is D. legal.

Tip: Words beginning with weak prefixes like un-, a-, be-, re- (when they act as prefixes or are unstressed syllables like /ə/) usually take stress on the second syllable. Always say the word aloud and tap the beat to find the stressed syllable.