12/11/2020 word stress

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Word Stress
listening
characteristics of stressed and exercise (A)
word stress pattern rules
unstressed syllables listening
exercise (B)

Characteristics of Stressed and Unstressed

Syllables
Do you know the differences between stressed syllables and unstressed syllables?
Look at the following chart first.

Loudness Vowel Length Vowel Clarity Pitch

Stressed
syllables loud long full high

Unstressed
syllables quiet short reduced low

So, when you say a word more than one syllable, remember to make the
stressed syllable louder, longer, clearer, and higher pitched.

Listening Exercise (A):

Listen to the words in each pair, and then decide whether the two words in each pair have
the same stress pattern. Choose " S " for the same or " D " for different.

e.g. You hear the words " ro man tic" and " ham bur ger,"
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then you find the stress for "romantic" is on the 2nd syllable, but the stress for
"hamburger" is on the 1st syllable, so you choose " D " - different.

three-
two-syllable words
syllable
words

1.
official
magnify
2.
referee
1. advise compete (S,D) pioneer (S,D)
2. humid perform (S,D) 3. (S,D)
3. discuss moral (S,D) elastic (S,D)
4. critic courage (S,D) optical (S,D)
5. contain mislead (S,D) 4. (S,D)
origin
proficient
5.
editor
gratitude

four-syllable words five-syllable words

(S
,
D) 1. incompatible (S,
(S sociology D)
1. opposition necessity
, 2. technological (S,
2. geography calculator
D) participation D)
3. economics politician
(S 3. magnification (S,
4. secondary
, examination D)
competitive
D) 4. electricity (S,
(S organization D)
,
D)

Word Stress Pattern Rules

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1. Using suffixes to predict stress

(A) Stress the suffix itself:

-
employee refugee trainee referee
ee
-
engineer career volunteer
eer
-
Chinese Japanese Portuguese
ese
-
unique antique technique
ique

(B) Stress the syllable immediately before the suffix:

- ial memorial financial artificial essential

- ual visual unusual intellectual individual
- ian Canadian vegetarian pedestrian politician
- sion explosion occasion conclusion permission
- tion definition production situation qualification
- ient ancient sufficient efficient deficient proficient
- cious delicious conscious suspicious judicious
- tious ambitious cautious superstitious conscientious
- ic academic energetic fantastic terrific realistic
- ible edible flexible incredible impossible
- ity ability necessity publicity possibility humidity
- ify classify terrify humidify personify solidify
- logy biology sociology anthropology psychology
-
geography autobiography photography pornography
graphy
- meter kilometer parameter speedometer thermometer

(C) Stress the second syllable before the suffix:

-
operate exaggerate associate integrate certificate
ate
-
apologize criticize recognize computerize
ize
-
secretary necessary contemporary vocabulary
ary
-
(e,
i, u) courageous mysterious impetuous spontaneous simultaneous
+
ous
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2. Using Parts of Speech to predict stress

(A) For certain two-syllable words used as both nouns and verbs,
stress nouns on the first syllable, and verbs on the second syllable.

Noun Verb Example

1. record record The bank recorded a new record yesterday.
2. present present He presented his wife with a beautiful present.

3. conduct conduct They're conducting a study into his conduct.

4. suspect suspect The suspect was suspected of robbing the bank.
5. desert desert The desert is so dry that it is usually deserted.

(B) Stress compound nouns on the first part/word:

deadline classroom software typewriter policeman

airplane
bus station air conditioner sports car credit card stock market

Great wall

(C) Stress two-word verbs more strongly on the second word,

but for their noun equivalents, stress them on the first part.

Verb: He printed it out.

Noun: Here's the printout.
She dropped out.
She's a dropout.
Can I check it out?
Where's the checkout counter?
Hold up your hand.
There was a holdup at the bank.
I'll set up a meeting for
This clearly is a setup.
you.

Listening Exercise (B): Word stress and Meaning

Listen to the sentences. Find which sentence in each pair you hear, and then choose the
correct response.

e.g. Does Mary like history? / Does Mary like his story?
(A) Yes, that's her favorite subject.
(B) No, she's heard it hundreds of times.

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If you hear the stress is on "history," you choose the answer (A).
If you hear the stress is on "story," you choose the answer (B).

Please go to the self-test page - Listening Exercise (B): Word Stress and
Meaning

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