Word Stress

and its levels

By
Samana Khalid
Roll No: 07
 WHAT IS STRESS?
• When a word or syllable is pronounced
with greater force than other words in the
same sentence or other syllables in the
same word.
“Stress within a word”
HOW TO STUDY STRESS?
• From the point of view of :
Production:
• Depends upon the speaker using more
muscular force
Perception:
‘Prominence’
 WHAT MAKES A
SYLLABLE PROMINENT?
• Loudness Ba:Ba:Ba:Ba:
• Length of the syllable
Ba:Ba:Ba:Ba:
• Pitch
• Quality
• Ba: Bi:Ba: Ba:
STRONGEST EFFECT……

• Pitch and Length

 WHEN A SYLLABLE IS
STRESSED
• it is pronounced:

• Longer in duration
• Higher in pitch
• Louder in volume
 HOW IS STRESS DENOTED?

• By placing a stress mark ( ` )

just before the stressed
syllable.
• E.g. /ri`si:v/
 LEVELS OF STRESS

• Primary Level Secondary Level

• Stress Stress
 PRIMARY STRESS
• When the voice falls from a higher pitch
to a lower pitch.
• E.g. A`round
• The prominence that results from pitch or
tone is the strongest type of stress and is
called primary stress.
 SECONDARY STRESS
• If the stress on the first syllable is
stronger then it is called secondary
stress.
• Eg.
• ,Photgraphic
• ,anthropology
 QUESTION
• How to select correct syllable or
syllables to stress in an English word?
 4 THINGS TO REMEMBER
• 1. Whether the word is
• Simple Complex Compound
• 2. Grammatical category
• (noun, verb, adjective etc)
• 3. The number of syllables
• 4. Phonological structure
 TWO SYLLABLE
WORDS
• GENERAL RULE:

• Only the first or the second syllable will

be stressed---not both.
 TWO SYLLABLE WORDS
• VERBS:
• 1. If the second syllable of the verb
contains a long vowel or a diphthong or if
it ends with more than consonant.
• Eg.
• A`rrive ,a`ssist, a`pply
 TWO SYLLABLE WORDS
• VERBS:
• 2. if the final syllable contains a short
vowel or one or no consonant then the
first syllable will be stressed.
• Eg.
• Enter , envy, open ,equal
 TWO SYLLABLE WORDS
• VERBS:
• 3. the final syllable is stressed if it
contains the diphthong eu
• E.g..
• Follow, burrow

• * there are always exceptions e.g. permit

 TWO SYLLABLE WORDS
• Adjectives:
• same rules as for the verbs.
• E.g.
• Lovely, divine, even, correct
• *exceptions are there.
• Honest, perfect
 TWO SYLLABLE WORDS
• NOUNS:
• If the second syllable contains a short
vowel the stress will usually come on the
first syllable. Otherwise it will be on
the second syllable.
• E.g.
• Money, product, larynx
• Estate, balloon
 THREE SYLLABLE WORDS
• VERBS:
• If the last syllable contains a short vowel,
and ends with not more than one
consonant, that syllable will not be
stressed. instead the stress will be on the
penultimate syllable.
• En `coun ter de` ter mine
 THREE SYLLABLE WORDS
• If the final syllable contains a long vowel
or diphthong or ends with more than one
consonant that final syllable will be
stressed.
• E.g. entertain resurrect
 THREE SYLLABLE WORDS
• NOUNS:
• If the final syllable contains a short vowel
or diphthong eu, it is unstressed. if the
syllable preceding this final syllable
contains along vowel or diphthong or if it
ends with more than one consonant, that
middle syllable will be stressed.
• Mi`mosa, di`saster, po`tato,
sy`nopsis
 THREE SYLLABLE WORDS
• If the final syllable contains a short vowel
and the middle syllable contains the
short vowel and ends with not more than
one consonant, then only the first
syllable is stressed.
• E.g.
• Quantity, emperor, custody, cinema
 THREE SYLLABLE WORDS
• Adjectives also follow the same rule as
nouns in three syllable words.
• E.g.
• Opportune, insolent,derelict
 BOTTOM LINE

• There is no rule or
regularity in English word
stress.
•Thank you!