Numbers: Numbers ending in -teen are normally stressed
on the last syllable. (See Chapter 8.) However, the stress in
these numbers can change to the !rst part in these situations:
- When we’re counting, we tend to stress -teen
numbers on the !rst syllable:
THIRteen, FOURteen, FIFteen, SIXteen, SEventeen.
- Years starting with -teen numbers usually have some
stress on the !rst syllable. There is also stress on one of
the syllables in the last part of the year:
-^1999 → NINEteen ninety-NINE
-^1492 → FOURteen ninety-TWO
-^1812 → EIGHTeen TWELVE - In combinations of a -teen number plus a noun, the stress
on the -teen number often moves to the !rst syllable:- 15 years → FIFteen YEARS
- 19 people → NINEteen PEOPle
- Numbers between 21 and 99 are also usually stressed on
the last part (the “ones” part). However, when they are
followed by a noun, the stress can move to the !rst part
of the number:
-^24 → twenty-FOUR 32 → thirty-TWO- 24 hours → TWENty-four HOURS
- 32 ounces → THIRty-two OUNCes
Other words with final stress: When a word with !nal
stress is followed by a word with initial stress, leading to two
stressed syllables in a row, the stress in the !rst word can
move to an earlier syllable, although it doesn’t have to. For
example, volunˈteer is normally stressed on the last syllable,
but in a phrase like ˈvolunteer ˈteacher, it can move to an
earlier syllable.Important points for teaching rhythm
To make the rhythm of English sounds natural, the most
important thing students need to remember is this: Make the
stressed syllables longer and clearer, and the unstressed
syllables shorter and less clear.In learning about reduced forms of words, it’s very important
for learners to be aware of how those forms sound so that
they’ll recognize and understand them when they hear them.
Even if learners don’t always use reduced forms themselves,
it’s absolutely necessary to understand them for
comprehension of natural, spoken English. This is especially
true in casual or rapid speech, but also in more formal,
careful speech. Native speakers do not normally speak using
only full citation forms of function words—not even when
they’re speaking slowly and formally.124