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WORD STRESS

Stress in the English Language

WHAT IS WORD STRESS?


Word stress is the key to understanding spoken

English. Native speakers of English use word stress naturally. Word stress is so natural for native speakers of English that they don't even know they use it. Non-native speakers who speak English to native speakers without using word stress encounter two problems:
They find it difficult to understand native speakers,

especially those speaking fast. Native speakers may find it difficult to understand

WHAT IS WORD STRESS?


In English, we do not say each syllable with the

same force or strength. In one word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable very loudly (big, strong, important) and all the other syllables very quietly.

UNDERSTANDING SYLLABLES
To understand word stress, you need to
understand syllables. Every word is made from syllables. Words have one, two, three or more syllables. Notice that (with a few rare exceptions) every syllable contains at least one vowel (a, e, i, o or u) or vowel sound.

UNDERSTANDING SYLLABLES
WORD Dog Green Quite Quiet Table Orange Expensive Interesting Dog Green Quite Qui-et Ta-ble Or-ange Ex-pen-sive In-ter-est-ing SYLLABLES 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 4

Unexceptional

Un-ex-cep-tion-al

STRESS PLACEMENT

STRESS PLACEMENT

RULES FOR WORD STRESS


ONE word = ONE stressed syllable

banana NOT BAnana


Only VOWELS get stressed, not CONSONANTS

RULES FOR WORD STRESS

RULES FOR WORD STRESS

RULES FOR WORD STRESS

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