5/5/2017

Words Stress

Erika Agustiana, M.Hum.

English Education Department
Indraprasta University
Jakarta

Words Stress

Definition of stress :
 Stress may be defined as the degree
of force or loudness with which a
sound or syllable is articulated.
 Stress can be classified as word stress
and sentence stress.

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How to pronounce word stress?

There are two basic things to keep in
mind that will help you determine how to
stress a word:
1. One word, one stress: One word
cannot have two stresses.
2. The stress is always on a vowel:
Consonants are never stressed.

How to pronounce word stress?

 Stressed syllables are strong syllables.
 Unstressed syllables are weak syllables.

Stressed syllables:
 Longer in duration
 Higher in pitch
 Have full vowel sounds.

Unstressed syllables:
 Shorter in duration
 Often have a reduced vowel sound.

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Vowel in stress and unstressed syllables

Vowels in stressed Vowels in unstressed

syllables : syllables :

 Long  Short
 Clear  Unclear
 High  Low
 Loud  Soft

General positions of English stress

• The fundamental rule is that stress is on
the root syllable.
• E.g: ‘careful be’loved
‘kindness im’possible
• The stress tends to fall on the initial
syllable.
• E.g: ‘carry ‘paper
‘colour ‘sorry
‘family ‘labour
‘Sunday ‘English

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General positions of English stress

• In most words of four or more syllables,

the stress is placed on the third syllable
from the end.
• E.g: ‘socialism uni’versity
ap’preciate ‘handkerchief
‘management ‘wonderful

Word Stress Rules

Where is
Word type Examples
the stress?
center
on the first object
Nouns
syllable flower
Two or three reference
syllables
release
on the last
Verbs admit
syllable
arrange

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Word Stress Rules

Where is the
Word type Examples
stress?
desktop
Nouns
on the first pencil case
(N + N)
part bookshelf
(Adj. + N)
greenhouse
Compound Adjective well-meant
Words (Adj. + hard-headed
P.P.) on the last old-fashioned
part (the verb
Verbs part) understand
(prep. + overlook
verb) outperform

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

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Content words - stressed

Words carrying
Example
the meaning
main verbs SELL, GIVE, EMPLOY
nouns CAR, MUSIC, MARY
adjectives RED, BIG, INTERESTING
adverbs QUICKLY, LOUDLY, NEVER
negative
DON'T, AREN'T, CAN'T
auxiliaries

Structure words - unstressed

Words for correct

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