ACE:TL_Session13_Pronunciation

ACE:

Travel & Living

Session 13

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.

What is word stress?

Let's take 3 words: 

photograph, photographer and photographic.

Do they sound the same when spoken? No.

Because we accentuate (stress) ONE syllable in each word. And it is not always the same syllable.

So the "shape" of each word is different.

Listen to these words in the next pages.

Do you hear the stressed syllable in each word?

1. PHO-to-graph

2. pho-TO-graph-er

3. pho-to-GRAPH-ic

1. PHO-to-graph

2. pho-TO-graph-er

3. pho-to-GRAPH-ic

It's your time to speak!

Listen to the 3 word again, but now repeat them giving you best to stress the word in the correct place.

Where does the stress go?

There are some rules about it, but one way to learn is from experience.

Listen carefully to spoken English and try to develop a feeling for the "music" of the language.

When you learn a new word...

...you should also learn its stress pattern. If you keep a vocabulary book, make a note to show which syllable is stressed. If you do not know, you can look in a dictionary.

All dictionaries give the phonetic spelling of a word. This is where they show which syllable is stressed, usually with an apostrophe (') just before or just after the stressed syllable.

Listen to another word now...

...and check how two different dictionaries show us the stress.

PLASTIC

Check your dictionary!

Notice that dictionary A uses a different system to dictionary B to show which syllable is stressed. Of course, it's the same word (plastic), and the stress is the same (the first syllable).

But dictionary A puts an apostrophe after the stressed syllable, and dictionary B puts an apostrophe before the stressed syllable.

You need to check your dictionary's notes to know which system it uses.

It's time to practice!

Answer the questions and decide in which syllable you listen the stress.

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• IN-vest

• in-VEST

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• IN-vest-ment

• in-VEST-ment

• in-vest-MENT

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• VIS-it

• vis-IT

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• VIS-i-ta-tion

• vis-I-ta-tion

• vis-i-TA-tion

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• RE-lax

• re-LAX

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• RE-lax-ing

• re-LAX-ing

• re-lax-ING

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• SHOPP-ing

• shopp-ING

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• TOUR-ist

• tour-IST

Multiple Choice

Listen.

• MAR-ket

• mar-KET

Well done!

You are now an expert on word stress!