In disyllables the first syllable has a secondary stress which is often only little less than that of the final, unless this syllable contains the high unrounded back vowel /W/ in which case it is unstressed and the vowel sounds almost like a short schwa (except when it is emphasised for specific reasons). In words with more than two syllables, which are comparatively rare and often loanwords if not derived or inflected, the primary stress falls on the final syllable and a secondary stress falls on the first syllable, unless this syllable contains the vowel /W/. (Cowan 1981)

1985 Durie, M. (1985). A grammar of Achehnese on the basis of a dialect of north Aceh, Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal, Land en Volkenkunde 112. Dordrecht: Foris.

The word-stress is only realised when a word is pronounced in its citation form or when it occurs in phrase-stress position, usually the final or the penultimate word in the phrase. When a word does not occur in phrase-stress position all its syllables are pronounced unstressed. Such words can be termed cliticised. (Durie 1985)

1995 Durie, M. (1995). Aceh. In D.T. Tryon (ed.) Comparative Austronesian Dictionary Part 1: 407-420. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Langen, K.F.H. van (1889). Handleiding voor de Beoefening van de Atjesche Taal. The Hague: M.Nijhoff (KITLV)

ˌmaˈta eye

kɯˈdɛ shop, market

ˌkanduˈri feast

saŋkaˈkala trumpet

ˌejɯtiˈhat