Reference

In Spanish, stress and word order are crucial for conveying emphasis. Here's how they work:

Stress

• Syllable Stress: The emphasis on a particular syllable can affect a word's meaning. For instance, in "público" (public) vs. "publicó" (he/she published), stress changes the meaning because of the position of the accent.
• Rules: Stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable if a word ends in a vowel, "n," or "s," and on the last syllable if it ends in other consonants. Accent marks can alter this natural stress pattern to emphasize a different syllable, which is essential for correct pronunciation and interpretation (source).

Word Order

• Flexibility: Spanish word order is more flexible than English, allowing for movement to emphasize particular elements. For example, placing a subject or an object at the beginning of a sentence can highlight its importance: "A Juan le gusta el chocolate" (Juan likes chocolate) vs. "El chocolate le gusta a Juan" (Chocolate is what Juan likes).
• Inversion: Using inversion or fronting less frequently used elements can add emphasis or introduce contrast. This can also dramatically influence the tone or focus of a dialogue.

By manipulating stress and word order, speakers can effectively highlight different parts of a sentence, adding nuance and depth to communication.