Words that end in a vowel, an s or an n are stressed on the second last syllable.
| the potato | la papa |
| the time | el tiempo |
| the exam, the examination | el examen |
| the crisis | la crisis |
Words that end in consonants other than s or n are stressed on the last syllable.
| the truth | la verdad |
| the color | el color |
Words that do not obey the two rules above, always carry an accent mark on the stressed syllable.
| the dad, the father | el papá |
| the relationship | la relación |
| the politics, the policy | la política |
