A.

STRESS

also sometimes called accent, is

the intensity of utterance given
to a speech sound, syllable, or
word producing relative
loudness.
PRIMARY OR STRONG STRESS ( ’ )

there is extreme
loudness and the vowels
are given full value.
 SECONDARY STRESS ( ‘’ )

there is less loudness than in

primary stress but the vowels
are still given full value.
 TERTIARY STRESS ( ` )

there is little loudness

and the vowels are
weakened and reduced
in value.
 WEAK STRESS ( V )

there is very little

loudness and the vowels
are obscured.
 WORD
STRESS
 RULE 1

The great majority of at least three

out of five two-syllable words are on
the first syllable.

Examples:
profit, table, commerce, social,
balance, ratio, merger, bonus
 RULE 2 - A

Compound nouns ordinarily have a

primary accent on the first
component and a secondary accent
on the second.

Examples:
drugstore, toothpaste,
tablecloth
 RULE 2 - B

Compound verbs ordinarily have a

primary accent on the second
component and a secondary accent
on the first.

Examples:
understand, overlook, outrun
 RULE 2 - C

Intensive-reflexive pronouns have

the primary accent on the last
syllable.

Examples:
myself, himself, themselves
 RULE 2 - D

Numbers ending in –teen may

receive the primary stress on
either syllable but as a second
language learner it is best to put
the stronger accent on the last
syllable so as to distinguish
between fifty and fifteen, sixty
and sixteen.
 RULE 3

There are words which may be

used as nouns or verbs. The
nouns are accented on the first
syllable and the verbs on the
second.
 RULE 3 - EXAMPLES

contest contract produce

present insert progress
convert incline exploit
record contrast suspect
object protest rebel
concert project conflict
survey conduct insult
content permit digest
 RULE 4

Generally, when a suffix is added to

a word, the new form is stressed on
the same syllable as was the basic
word: happy, happiness / reason,
reasonable /. Words ending in –tion,
-sion, -ic, -ical, -ity, however, almost
always have primary stress on the
syllable preceding the ending. There
is a shift of accent then.
 RULE 4 - EXAMPLES

contribute contribution
economy economic
psychology psychological
electric electricity
SENTENCE
STRESS
 CONTENT WORDS

are those which have meaning in themselves

like student, teacher, school, etc. They are
usually stressed and include the following:

nouns
verbs(with the few exceptions listed in the
function words)
adjectives
adverbs
demonstrative: this, that, those, these
interrogative: who, when, why, what, etc.
 CONTENT WORDS

are those which have meaning in themselves

like student, teacher, school, etc. They are
usually stressed and include the following:

nouns
verbs(with the few exceptions listed in the
function words)
adjectives
adverbs
demonstrative: this, that, those, these
interrogative: who, when, why, what, etc.
 FUNCTION WORDS

are those which have little or no

meaning other than th
grammatical idea they express
such as in, shall, a, the, and, of.
They are usually the following:
 FUNCTION WORDS EXAMPLES
 articles: a, an, the
 prepositions: to, of, on, in etc.
 personal pronouns: I, me, he, him, it, etc.
 possessive adjectives: my, his, your, etc
 relative pronouns: who, that, which, etc.
 common conjunctions: and, but, that, as, if, etc.
 One used as a noun-substitute as in the yellow bag and the
red one.
 The verbs be, have, do, will, would, shall, should, can,
could, may, might, and must. They are used as auxiliary
verbs.
 PHRASES
 PHRASES ( ‘’ ‘ ) CONSTRUCTS ( ‘ ‘ )

 English teacher English teacher

(a teacher from England) (a teacher of English)

 hair brush hairbrush

(a brush made of hair) (a brush for the hair)

 blue stocking bluestocking

(a stocking that is blue) (an intellectual woman)

 grand father grandfather

(a wonderful father) (the father of one’s
father or mother)
 PHRASES
 PHRASES ( ‘’ ‘ ) CONSTRUCTS ( ‘ ‘ )

 black board blackboard

(a board that is black) (a slate)

 green house greenhouse

(a house painted green) (a plant nursery enclosed in a
glass)

 blue jacket bluejacket

(a jacket that is blue) (a sailor)

 blue book bluebook

(a book that is blue) (examination booklet)
PITCH
 PITCH

the difference in the relative

vibration frequency of the
human voice that contributes
to the total meaning of
speech.
 FOUR PITCH LEVELS

PITCH 1 – Low is generally used to end a

sentence.
PITCH 2 – Normal is the level ordinarily
used in beginning a sentence or
phrase which is not stressed.
PITCH 3 – High is generally used to
emphasize or stress a word.
PITCH 4 – Extra High is used to express
excitement, surprise or fear.
INTONATION
 INTONATION

the rising and falling of the

voice in speech.
INTONATION PATTERNS

Basic Intonations

▪Rising-falling pattern (2-3-1)

▪Rising pattern (2-3-3)
INTONATION PATTERNS
Non-final Intonations
▪Noun of address (2-3-3)
▪Words in a series (2-3-2-3-1)
▪Alternatives (2-3)
▪Clauses (2-3-2)
▪Phrases (2-3-2)
JUNCTURE
 JUNCTURE
the manner of transition or
mode of relationship between
two consecutive sounds in
speech. Junctures are
meaningful stops/pauses in
speech, which are either
sustained, rising, or falling.
THREE LEVELS OF JUNCTURE

Sustained or Level Juncture [ / ]

Rising Juncture [ // ]

Falling Juncture [ # ]
 EXAMPLE

 The teacher says the class is noisy.

 Whether you like it or not, I have to go.

 Are you happy?

 EXAMPLE

I like bananas, apples, and grapes.

 Elsa, come here.

 Do you like coffee, or tea?

THE END