Intro to Word Stress: American English Pronunciation

The video tutorial explains the concept of stress in American English, focusing on how certain syllables and words are stressed within sentences. It highlights the importance of stress in understanding meaning and emphasizes the characteristics of stressed syllables, such as higher pitch and longer duration. The tutorial uses examples like 'about' and 'embarrassment' to illustrate primary and secondary stress. It also demonstrates the use of speech analysis software to visualize pitch changes and discusses reduced words in sentences, using 'for' as an example.

What characteristic of a syllable makes it stressed in American English?

• It is spoken more softly.

• It is higher in pitch and longer in duration.

• It is lower in pitch.

• It is shorter in duration.

In the word 'embarrassment', which syllable carries the primary stress?

• The first syllable

• The second syllable

• The last syllable

• The third syllable

Which words are stressed in the sentence 'I saw her at the meeting'?

• At and the

• Saw and meeting

• I and her

• Her and meeting

What does the speech analysis software primarily analyze to determine stress?

• Volume

• Speed

• Pitch

• Clarity

How is the word 'for' pronounced in the sentence 'I got it for you'?

• With a lower pitch and shorter duration

• With a louder volume

• With a longer duration

• With a higher pitch