Pronunciation Practice

Word stress & Linking

Exercise 1: Underline the stress syllable in each word.

1. apply 9. temporary
2. salary 10. fired
3. experience 11. promote
4. overtime 12. unemployed
5. permanent 13. employment
6. qualification 14. company
7. resign 15. business
8. retire

Exercise 2: Underline the schwa sound of the following words

1. community 9. garden
2. London 10. police
3. suppose 11. eleven
4. observe 12. tonight
5. seven 13. machine
6. woman 14. table
7. given 15. elephant
8. dozen
Exercise 3: Mark a link sounds in the sentences below
1. I hate it when a cell phone goes off at the movies.
2. I can’t stand it when a person is inflexible.
3. Does it bother you when a friend is unreliable?
Exercise 4: Listen and write the missing words
1. There’s wet towel on the floor.
Please ________ ________ ________.
2. I can’t concentrate with the music on.
Please ________ ________ ________.
3. If you what the word means, ________ ________ ________.
4. Why have you taken you coat off? ________ ________ ________!
5. This book was very expensive. Please ________ ________ ________.
6. Why are you wearing your coat here? ________ ________ ________!