Spoken English: Flourish Your Language

(coco) #1

II Stress in English Language



  1. msTEriftl

  2. phtLOsephy
    8. inD Igenffifs

  3. CHALlenge
    10. deFIcient
    11. exPLIcit
    12. inCORperate

    • A multi-syllable word has a prominent syllable. This is called
      a stressed syllable.

    • Stressed syllable is longer in duration, higher in pitch and
      louder in volume.

    • Duration is the primary attribute to the prominence of a syl-
      lable.

    • Usually 2 syllable nouns (90%+) have the stress on the first
      syllable. 2 syllable verbs (60% +) have the stress on the sec-
      ond.

    • Except for the compounds, stressed syllables in words with
      more than 2 syllables never stand next to each other (Stressed
      syllables and weak. syllables alternate).
      When a word has more than one syllable, one is more prominent
      than the others. When this happens, we say that the syllable has a
      stress or that it is stressed. In the following examples, stressed
      syllables are expressed with italics.
      word pattern
      tea.cher
      beau.ti.ful
      un.der.stand
      con.ti.nue















Free download pdf