I’m currently learning with Duolingo and even though I can read, I’ve realized I never know which syllable should be accented.
A simple example: みず.
How can I tell if the accent goes on “mi” or “zu”? Is it like English? Like you need to hear the word to know where the accent goes? Or are there rules that let you know just by reading it?
Accented syllables are often very subtle and picking them up requires careful listening and sometimes a friend or teacher to correct you. In the case of みず, neither syllable is particularly accented, but inflection can change a lot based on the emotional state of the speaker.
It just takes practice. The rules for accents and inflection are not written, to my knowledge. I recommend watching a lot of Japanese TV.