Word Stress

Good morning, class!
TODAY'S OBJECTIVES:
a. recognize the changes in meaning of words and
sentences as the stress changes,
b. use the proper stress (primary, secondary,
tertiary and weak) when reading passages,
c. demonstrate understanding of stress through
speaking exercises.
photograph
photography
photographic
SYLLABLES
- a unit of pronunciation that has one vowel sound

- every syllable contains at least one vowel (a, e, i, o or
u) or vowel sound.
- every word is made up of number of syllables.
Let's Read This ...
I love to study photography because I want to learn

how to take beautiful photographs aside from the
photographic memory I have in my head.
WORD
STRESS IN
SPEECH
Kristal Hope Laplana
WORD STRESS
In English, we do not say each syllable
with the same force or strength.
In one word,
we accentuate ONE syllable.
WORD STRESS
There is one stressed syllable in every multi-syllable word in English.
The stressed syllable:

is slightly higher in pitch (or tone)
has a full vowel
does not change – it is always the same for that particular word
gives a beat when it’s in a sentence.
STRESSED SYLLABLE CHECK
Word Stressed Syllable
photograph
photography
photographic
photograph
photography
photographic
photograph
photography
photographic
photograph
photography
photographic
STRESS LEVELS IN WORD SPEECH
Primary Stress
the loudest and longest syllable in a word.
It has a very noticeable change in pitch on
the vowel.
Secondary Stress
syllables that are stressed, but not as
much the primary stress. Stress is not
quite noticeable.
Weak Stress
It has no stress at all that the vowel in
the syllable is almost completely gone.
The change in pitch on the vowel is barely
noticeable, but it is there.
STRESS LEVELS CHECK
Primary Secondary Weak
PHOtograph photoGRAPH phoTOgraph
CAmera cameRA caMEra

I have a PROject.
You have to proJECT.

CHANGE IN STRESS POSITION CHANGES WORD
MEANING
In most cases, two-syllable words can be distinguished

either as noun or as verb depending on which syllable is
stressed.
First syllable stressed = a noun

Second syllable stressed = a verb
WHY IS WORD STRESS IMPORTANT?
It is used to recognize the words being

said.
It is used to communicate rapidly and

accurately, even in difficult conditions.
ALLEN'S ANNOUNCEMENT
Allen: Good morning, everybody!
Allen: Please pay attention to this announcement.
Amina: Wait a minute! I don’t think everyone’s here —

Ricky is absent, and so is Sheila.
Allen: Well, I can’t hold the announcement just because

they choose to absent themselves from work!
Allen: There’s good news for us — there’s a present
for you if you present the record of last week’s
activities accurately.
Allen: The video guys will record the best presentation!
Allen: And the boss wants the best presenter to submit
his or her résumé at my desk so that your promotion
can be processed!
Amina: I don’t object to getting a promotion, but what
is the object of carrying it out like this?
Allen: We’ll come to that in a while. All right, guys! Who
will conduct today’s session?
Allen: Remember, there’ll be marks for good conduct as
well!
Amina: Let’s not forget that we have to produce a
good report at the end of the day.
Allen: True. And after that everyone’s been ordered to

resume work — no holiday, guys!
QUIZ TIME
Encircle the letter that gives the
correct reflection of the stressed
syllable in the given words.
1. Can you pass me a plastic
knife?
A. PLAS-tic B. plas-TIC
2. I can't decide which book
to borrow.
A. DE-cide
B. de-CIDE
3. Couldn't you understand
what she was saying?
A. un-DER-stand
B. un-der-STAND
4. Voting in elections is your
most important duty.
A. im-POR-tant
B. im-por-TANT
5. We had a really
interesting conversation.
A. con-VER-sa-tion
B. con-ver-SA-tion
6. How do you pronounce
this word?
A. PRO-nounce
B. pro-NOUNCE
7. Incomprehensible
A. INcomprehensible
B. incompreHENsible
8. Responsibility
A. responsiBIlity
B. responSIbility
9. Generalization
A.generaliZAtion
B. GENeralization
10. Congratulations
A. conGRAtulations
B. congratuLAtions
ANSWERS:
1. A 6. B
2. B 7. B
3. B 8. A
4. A 9. A
5. B 10. B
Well done!

Word Stress

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Good morning, class!

- a unit of pronunciation that has one vowel sound

I love to study photography because I want to learn

The stressed syllable:

PHOtograph photoGRAPH phoTOgraph

CAmera cameRA caMEra

You have to proJECT.

In most cases, two-syllable words can be distinguished

First syllable stressed = a noun

It is used to recognize the words being

It is used to communicate rapidly and

Allen: Please pay attention to this announcement.

Amina: Wait a minute! I don’t think everyone’s here —

Allen: Well, I can’t hold the announcement just because

Allen: True. And after that everyone’s been ordered to

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