LESSON 5 – WORD STRESS
WORD STRESS WORDS ENDING IN CONSONANTS AND IN -Y
• All words that have more than one syllable have word stress • If there is a word that ends in a consonant or in a -y, then
• One syllable is longer and louder than the other. the first syllable gets the stress.
• English words have its own rhythm. • Examples:
• Word stress plays an important role of correct ➢ RARity
pronunciations of English words. ➢ OPtimal
• Such as: ➢ GRAdient
➢ CHI-na ➢ CONtainer
➢ SLEN-der
➢ com-MIT-tee WORDS ENDING IN -ER, -OR,-LY
➢ re-ve-LA-tion • For words ending with the suffixes -er, -or, or -ly, the stress
is placed on the first syllable.
HOW TO PRONOUNCE WORD STRESS • Examples:
• When a syllable is stressed, it is pronounced: ➢ DIRect/DIRector
1. Longer in duration ➢ ORder/ORderly
2. Higher in pitch ➢ MANage/MANager
3. Louder in volume
PREFIXES
IMPORTANCE OF WORD STRESS • Usually, prefixes do not take the stress of a word.
• Mistakes in word stress are a common cause of • There are a few exceptions to this rule, however, like:
misunderstanding in English. ➢ Un, in, pre, ex and mis
o Which are all stressed in their prefix.
• Stressing a word differently can change the meaning or
type of the word. • Examples:
➢ Example: We will desert the desert by tomorrow. ➢ ex: EXample, EXplanation, EXamine
➢ in: INside, INefficient, INterest
➢ mis: MISspoke, MIStake, MISspelled
➢ pre: PREcede, PREarrange, PREliminary
➢ So, as you can see the last part of the first desert WORDS HAVING DUAL ROLE
is stressed, while the last part of the second desert • In the case of words which can be used as either a noun or
is unstressed desert. verb, the noun will tend to be stressed on the first syllable
• Even if the speaker can be understood, mistakes with word and the verb on the last syllable.
stress can make the listener feel irritated, or perhaps even • Examples
amused, and could prevent good communication from ➢ Import (n) imPORT (v)
taking place. ➢ INcrease (n) increase (v)
• Some other words:
➢ preSENT WORD STRESS FOR COMPOUND WORDS
➢ HOTdog
➢ Pupil A. COMPOUND NOUN
➢ PREsent • A compound noun is a noun made out of two nouns in order
➢ Hot DOG to form one word.
➢ puPIL ➢ In a compound noun, the first word usually takes
on the stress.
RULES OF WORD STRESS • Examples:
• There are also some rules that we need to follow in terms ➢ ICEland
of word stress. ➢ TOOTHpaste
➢ SEAfood
THINGS TO REMEMBER
• A word can only have one stress. B. COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
➢ In a very long word you can have a secondary • A compound adjective is an adjective composed of at least
stress but it is always a much smaller stress. two words.
• Only vowels are stressed, not consonants. • Often, hyphens are used in compound adjectives.
➢ The vowels in English are a, e, i, o, and u. • In compound adjectives, the stress is placed within the
➢ The consonants are all the other letters. second word.
• Examples:
TWO SYLLABLE NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES ➢ ten-MEter
• In most two syllable nouns and adjectives, the first syllable ➢ rock-SOlid
takes on the stress. ➢ fifteen-MInute
• Examples:
➢ SAMples C. COMPOUND VERB
➢ CARton • A compound verb is when a subject has two or more verbs.
➢ COlorful • The stress is on the second or on the last part.
➢ RAIny • Examples:
➢ Matilda loves bread but deTESTS butter.
TWO SYLLABLE VERBS AND PREPOSITIONS ➢ Sarah baked cookies and ATE them up.
• In most two syllable verbs and prepositions, the stress is on ➢ Dogs love to eat bones and love DRINking water.
the second syllable.
• Examples: D. NOUN + COMPOUND NOUNS
➢ reLAX • Noun + compound Nouns are two-word compound nouns.
➢ reCEIVE • In noun + compound noun, the stress is on the first word.
➢ diRECT • Examples:
➢ aMONG ➢ AIRplane mechanic
➢ aSIDE ➢ PROject manager
➢ between ➢ BOARDroom member
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THREE-SYLLABLE WORDS
• For three-syllable words, look at the word ending (the
suffix), using the following as your guide.
WORDS WITH VARIOUS ENDINGS
• Stress is going to come on the syllable right before the suffix
• This applies to words of all syllable lengths.
• Examples:
➢ able: ADDable, ARable, DURable
➢ ary: PRIMary, DIary, library
➢ cial: juDIcial, nonSOcial
➢ cian: muSIcian, phySIcian, cliNICian
➢ ery: BAkery, SCENery
➢ graphy: calLIgraphy, bibliOgraphy, stenOgraphy
➢ ial: celesTIal, iniTIal, juDICial
➢ ian: coMEdian, ciVILian, techNIcian
➢ ible: viSIble, terRIble, reSIstible
➢ ic: arCHAic, plaTOnic, synTHEtic
➢ ical: MAgical, LOgical, CRItical
➢ ics: diaBEtics, paediAtrics
➢ ion: classifiCAtion, repoSItion, vegeTAtion
➢ ity: imMUnity, GRAvity, VAnity
➢ ium: HElium, ALUminum, PREmium
➢ imum: MInimum, MAXimum, OPtimum
➢ logy: BIology, CARdiology, RAdiology
➢ tal: caPItal, biCOAstal, reCItal
WORDS ENDING IN EE, ESE, IQUE, ETTE
• Words that use the suffix ee, ese, eer, ique or ette, have
the primary stress actually placed on the suffix.
• This applies to words of all syllable lengths.
• Examples:
➢ ee: agrEE, jamborEE, guarantEE
➢ eer: sightsEER, puppetEER
➢ ese: SiamESE, JapanESE, cheESE
➢ ette: cassETTE, CorvETTE, towelETTE
➢ ique: unIQUE, physIQUE
STRESS ON THE SECOND FROM THE END SYLLABLE
• You put stress on the second syllable from the end of the
word, with words ending in ic, sion and tion.
• Examples:
➢ iCONic
➢ hyperTENsion
➢ nuTRItion
STRESS ON THE THIRD FROM END SYLLABLE
• You put stress on the third from end syllable with words that
end in cy, ty,phy, gy and al.
• Examples:
➢ demoCRAcy
➢ TREAty
➢ geOGraphy
➢ ALlergy
➢ NAUtical
NUMBERS
• If the number is a multiple of ten, the stress is placed on the
first syllable.
• Examples:
➢ TEN
➢ FIFty
➢ ONEhundred
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