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Word Stress & Sentence Stress

This document discusses word stress and sentence stress in English. It defines word stress as accenting a prominent syllable within a word. Sentence stress refers to accenting certain words within a sentence. Content words like verbs, nouns and adjectives are stressed, while structure words like pronouns and prepositions are unstressed. The timing between stressed words should be consistent. Rules for word stress based on word type are provided, along with examples of content and structure words.

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88 views18 pages

Word Stress & Sentence Stress

This document discusses word stress and sentence stress in English. It defines word stress as accenting a prominent syllable within a word. Sentence stress refers to accenting certain words within a sentence. Content words like verbs, nouns and adjectives are stressed, while structure words like pronouns and prepositions are unstressed. The timing between stressed words should be consistent. Rules for word stress based on word type are provided, along with examples of content and structure words.

Uploaded by

sofurohnajwa
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Word Stress

& Sentence Stress


Huang Wanmei
Review of Vowels
Three factors for the description of English vowels

I. The height of the body of the tongue –


highest point of tongue (vertical axis);

II. The front-back position of the tongue –


highest point of tongue (horizontal axis);

III. The degree of lip rounding - lip posture


The height of the body of the tongue
The front-back position of the tongue
Description of the vowels

• Front & Central Vowels

• /:/ high, front, unrounded vowel


• // lower high, front, unrounded vowel
• /e/ mid, front, unrounded vowel
• /æ/ low, front, unrounded vowel
• /:/ mid, central, unrounded vowel
• /ə/ mid, central, unrounded vowel
• Back Vowels

• /:/ low, back, unrounded vowel


• // low, back, rounded vowel
• /:/ mid-low, back, rounded vowel
• /u/ lower high, back, rounded vowel
• /u:/ high, back, rounded vowel
• // lower mid, back, unrounded vowel
Unit 8: Word Stress
• English is a stress timed language
The English language is often referred to as
stress-timed. Stress in a spoken sentence occurs
at regular intervals and the time to say
something depends on the number of stressed
syllables rather than the number of syllables
itself.

• 1234
• 1 and 2 and 3 and 4
• 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4
• 1 and then a 2 and then a 3 and then a 4
Word Stress
• A word stress means a prominent syllable

word pattern

tea.cher •.

beau.ti.ful •..

un.der.stand ..•

con.ti.nue .•.
How to pronounce word stress?

When a syllable is stressed, it is pronounced

• longer in duration
• higher in pitch
• louder in volume
How do you say teacher?

Longer teeeeeeeeeeee cher


tea
Higher
cher
Louder TEA cher
All three TEEEEEEEEEEE
combined cher
Word Stress Rule
Where is the
Word type Examples
stress?
center
on the first
Nouns object
syllable
flower
Two syllables
release
on the last
Verbs admit
syllable
arrange
desktop
Nouns
pencil case
(N + N) on the first part
bookshelf
(Adj. + N)
greenhouse
well-meant
Compound Adjectives
hard-headed
(Adj. + P.P.)
on the last part old-fashioned
(the verb part) understand
Verbs
overlook
(prep. + verb)
outperform
Word type Where is the stress? Examples

turn off
Phrasal Verbs on the particle buckle up
hand out
economic
-ic Geometric
the syllable before the electrical
ending Technician
-tion, -cian, -sion graduation
Word with cohesion
added
ending -phy, -gy, -try, -cy, -fy, Photography
biology
-al
the third from the last geometry
syllable Parameter
-meter Thermometer
barometer
Sentence Stress in English

• Sentence stress is the music of spoken English.


Like word stress, sentence stress can help you to
understand spoken English, especially when
spoken fast.

• Sentence stress is what gives English its rhythm


or "beat". You remember that word stress is
accent on one syllable within a word. Sentence
stress is accent on certain words within a
sentence.
Most sentences have two types of word:

content words
structure words

Content words are the key words of a sentence.


They are the important words that carry the
meaning or sense.
Structure words are not very important words.
They are small, simple words that make the
sentence correct grammatically.

If you remove the structure words from a sentence,


you will probably still understand the sentence.
Imagine that you receive this telegram message:

SELL CAR GONE FRANCE

SELL my CAR I’ve GONE to FRANCE

Will you SELL my CAR because I’ve GONE to FRANCE


2 1 3 1

Will you SELL my CAR because I’ve GONE to FRANCE


Rules for Sentence Stress in English

The basic rules of sentence stress are:

1. content words are stressed


2. structure words are unstressed
3. the time between stressed words is
always the same
Content words - stressed
Words carrying the meaning Example
main verbs SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY
nouns CAR, MUSIC, MARY
adjectives RED, BIG, INTERESTING
adverbs QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER
negative auxiliaries DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T

Structure words - unstressed


Words for correct grammar Example
pronouns he, we, they
prepositions on, at, into
articles a, an, the
conjunctions and, but, because
auxiliary verbs do, be, have, can, must

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