Word Stress in Tagalog: Malumay - stress on the penultimate syllable

Word stress is important to know especially in languages where there are words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently.  In English, there are heteronyms, words that are spelled the same, but spoken differently.  Just like desert (n. dry, sandy land) and desert (v. to abandon).  Still there is dessert (n. something served after a meal as a last course ) It may not be spelled the same, but it is spoken as the verb desert.      

Ultimately, what I'm stressing at is that a single word may change the meaning of the sentence if it is not stressed well.  

In Tagalog, there is a stress called malumay. 

Read the following words:  The capitalized part are stressed.  Try to read them out loud:

1.  SA-ging -  banana

2.  BA-hay  - house

3.  la-LA-ke - male/man

4.  ba-BA-e - female/woman

5.  ti-NA-pay - bread 

6.  PE-ra - money

7.  A-pat - four

8.  A-nim - six

9.  A-so - dog

10.  SIL-ya - chair  

Which part of the word is stressed?  Is it the first syllable?  the second syllable?  the last syllable?   The stressed syllable is the second to the last syllable or what we call the penultimate syllable.

Native speakers can easily distinguish where to stress depending on the context.  However, novice learners, still need the assistance of teachers in the first part of the course.  

Don't be offended when people laugh if you misspeak or mispronounce the words because it is part of the learning process.  You can ask instead the native speakers to tell you the correct pronunciation and then ask what did you just say in order to avoid committing the same mistake.