Stress is one of the most important phonetic properties of words. It is necessary to correctly recognize them in the speech flow. In every language stress has its own specifics: it can be

• Intensive or moderate
• Mobile or fixed
• Many-placed or attached to a certain word

In the Circassian language stress is moderate and mobile. Technically in the Circassian language stress  is expressed by additional expiration of the appropriate syllable as well as its additional prolongation. Therefore, stressed vowels are pronounced a little longer with a little more noticeable expiration. However, the difference between how much time it takes to pronounce stressed vowels and their non-stressed equivalents is not very big, and short stressed Circassian vowels remain shorter than long Circassian vowels without stress placed on them.

Stress can be placed on any syllable (first, second, third and so on). For example: я́т1онэр "second", гущы́1 "word", къылъэк1уа́тэ "approaching". However, it is noticed by researchers that in the Circassian language stress in the most cases is placed either on the last syllable or the syllable before it. In the words borrowed through (or from) Russian their original stress remains intact. For example: ваго́н, тра́ктор, комите́т, комсомо́л and so on.

In some cases stress plays the crucial role differentiating meanings of Circassian words. In these cases being put incorrectly stress modifies the words' lexical meanings. For example: ощхы́ "rain", but о́щхы "you are laughing", къаштэ́ "you take here", but къа́штэ "they take here".