Initial-stress derivation is a phonological process in English that moves stress to the first syllable of verbs when they are used as nouns or adjectives.
This process can be found in the case of several dozen verb-noun and verb-adjective pairs and is gradually becoming more standardized in some English dialects, but it is not present in all.
Thus, the stress difference between nouns and verbs in English is a general rule and applies not only to otherwise-identical noun-verb pairs.
absent · abstract · accent · addict · address (North America only) · affect · affix · alloy · ally · annex · assay · attribute · augment · belay · bisect · bombard · combat · combine · commune · compact · complex · composite · compost (both initial-stressed in North America)· compound · compress · concert · conduct · confect · confine(s) · conflict · conscript[3] · conserve · consist · console · consort · construct[4] · consult · content · contest[5] · contract · contrast · converse · convert · convict · decrease · default · defect · detail (British Isles only)· dictate · digest · discard · discharge · disconnect · discount · discourse · dismount · display · embed · envelope · escort · essay · estimate (British Isles only) · excise · exploit · export · extract · ferment · finance · foretaste · fragment · frequent · gallant · impact · implant · impound · import · impress · imprint · incense · incline · increase · indent · inlay · insert · insult · intercept · interchange · intercross · interdict · interlink · interlock · intern · interplay · interspace · interweave · intrigue · invert · invite · involute · mandate (both initial-stressed in North America) · mismatch (both initial-stressed in North America) · misprint (both initial-stressed in North America) · object · offset · overcount · overlap · overlay · overlook · override · overrun · perfect · perfume (often, neither initial-stressed in North America) · permit · pervert · prefix (variable) · present · proceed(s) · process · produce · progress · project · protest (variable) · purport · rebel · recall · recap · recess · recoil · record · recount · redirect · redo · redress · refill · refresh · refund · refuse · regress · rehash · reject · relapse · relay · remake · repeat · repose · repost · reprint · research (variable) · reset · retake · retard · retract · retread · rewrite · segment · subject · survey · suspect · syndicate · torment (varies) · transfer · transform · transplant · transect · transport · transpose · traverse · undercount · update · upgrade · uplift · upset Some two-word phrases follow this pattern.
In some cases the spelling changes when the accent moves to another syllable, as in the following verb/noun pairs which show the addition of a "magic e", which changes the previous vowel from lax to tense: In British English, annexe is the noun from the verb annex.
Entrance is also a noun when stressed on the first syllable and a verb when on the second, but that is not a true example since the words are unrelated homographs.