Editing Aleut language (section)

=== Stress ===
Aleut stress is indeterminate and often difficult to define. Stress varies based on the relation to the beginning or end of the word form, the length of the vowels, the sonority of the consonants, open- or closeness of the syllables, or the number of syllables in sentential rhythm and intonation. Stress affects the length of both vowels and consonants. Stress underlies the distinctive [[syncopation]] characteristics of Eastern Aleut. In the following discussion, the acute accent (á) indicates the stronger stress and the grave accent (à) indicates the weaker.

In Eastern Aleut, stronger stress tends to fall on the penultimate syllable if it is short (has a short vowel), or on the last syllable if it is long (has a long vowel). The weaker stress commonly falls on the first syllable. For example, {{lang|ale-latn|úlax̂}} 'house', {{lang|ale-latn|tùnúnax̂}} 'talked', {{lang|ale-latn|tùnulákan}} 'without talking', {{lang|ale-latn|ìnaqáam}} 'he himself'.

Eastern Aleut words with more than two syllables exhibit a wider variety of stress patterns. Stress may be attracted to another syllable by a long vowel or relatively sonorant consonant, or by a closed syllable. It is possible the stress can be determined by rhythmic factors so that one word will have different stress in different contexts, such as {{lang|ale-latn|áĝadax̂}} compared to {{lang|ale-latn|àĝádax̂}}, both meaning 'arrow'.

In Atkan and Attuan Aleut, stronger stress more commonly falls on the first syllable. However, long vowels, sonorants, etc. have similar effects on stress as in Eastern Aleut. For example, {{lang|ale-latn|qánáang}} 'how many' vs {{lang|ale-latn|qánang}} 'where'; {{lang|ale-latn|ùĝálux̂}} 'spear' vs {{lang|ale-latn|álaĝux̂}} 'sea'.

Stress may also be expressive, as with exclamations or polite requests. Stronger stress falls on the last syllable and is accompanied by a lengthening of a short vowel. For example, {{lang|ale-latn|kúufyax̂ àqakúx̂!}} 'coffee is coming'. There is a similar structure for polite requests: {{lang|ale-latn|qadá}} 'please eat!' vs {{lang|ale-latn|qáda}} 'eat'.

Under ordinary strong stress, a short syllable tends to be lengthened, either by lengthening the vowel or geminating the following single consonant. Lengthening of the vowel is most common in Eastern, but is found in Atkan before a voiced consonant. In all dialects gemination is common between an initial stressed syllable with a short vowel and a following stressed syllable. For example, {{lang|ale-latn|ìláan}} 'from him' pronounced {{IPA|[-ll-]}} and {{lang|ale-latn|làkáayax̂}} 'a boy' pronounced {{IPA|[-kk-]}}.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />