RHYTHM OF

ENGLISH
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MAIN POINTS

▸Word and Sentence Stress

▸Connected Speech
▸Reduction
▸Phrasing
▸Intonation
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1.
Word and Sentence Stress
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Word
What is

Stress?
It is the importance,
significance, or emphasis
placed on syllables in a
word.
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Word Stress

1st Syllable/ Word 2nd Syllable/ Word

2 Syl. Nouns 2 Syl. Verbs

2-3 Syl. Adjectives 2 Syl. Prepositions
2-3 Syl. Adverbs
Compound Nouns Compound Verbs
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DRILLS
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Word Stress

ánswer chícken hónor

ásthma Chrístmas knówledge
cástle Kítchen móther
cháos clímate stómach
sálmon ísland stúdent
écho chórus
néighbor doughnut
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Word Stress

cáutious húngry shórtly

háppy useful slówly
pléasant álways sóoner
sólid láter únder
próper óften
súnny óver
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Word Stress

a tákeover máilman pópcorn

a gétup greénhouse roómmate
a létdown fíreman schoól bus
a líftoff the Whíte House
a príntout hót dog
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Word Stress

atténd begín expláin

colléct survive maintáin
eléct compláin remáin
prevént entertáin
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Word Stress

to take óver •Black OUT

to get úp •break DOWN
to let down •look OUT
to lift óff
to print óut
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Word Stress

2nd to the last 3rd to the last

Syllable Syllable
-ic -cy
-sion -ty
-tion -phy
-gy
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DRILLS
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Word Stress

iCONic loCAtion NAUtical

hyperTENsion JUNCtion dePENdency
nuTRItion casTRAtion phiLOsophy
exTENsion deMOcracy auTHOrity
eLAStic abSURdity phoTOgraphy
exPANsion geOGraphy geNEAlogy
AUCtion ALlergy astroNOmical
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What is

Sentence Stress?
It is the importance,
significance, or emphasis
placed on words in a
sentence.
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SENTENCE STRESS

Three Ways to STRESS a word:

1. Get louder
2. Strrrrrrrrretch that word.
3. Change the pitch.
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Sentence Stress

Stressed Unstressed

Nouns Pronouns
Main Verbs Prepositions
Adjectives Articles
Adverbs Conjunctions
Negative Auxiliary Verbs
Auxiliaries
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Sentence Stress

• Rico loves to eat chicken salad.

• Wilma is the name of Wilson’s wife.
• Stella is the producer of this year’s fashion show.
• The gardener cut the grass and watered the flowers.
• John never understood what the lawyer had been trying to say.
• The trainer taught us to properly put stress on words in a
sentence.
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2.
Connected Speech
Liaisons
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Rule 1
Consonant +
Vowel
When a word ends in a
consonant sound and
followed by a vowel sound,
the words are connected.

Can I have your name?

Ke nigh havyer name?
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Connected Speech

Have a nice day! Ha vuhnice day!

My name is… My naymiz…

LA eh lay

American accent America naccent

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Rule 2

Vowel + Vowel
When a word ends
in a vowel sound and
followed by another
vowel sound,
the words are connected.
He isn’t here. Sound is either Y or W.
He yisn’t here
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Connected Speech

You are kind. You ware kind.

May I ask… May yi ask…

Too often Too woften

So honest So whonest
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Connected Speech

To open To wopen
Do I? Do wai?
Who is he? Who wiz he?
To understand To wunderstand
He is sure He yiz sure.
To access To waccess.
Through any Through wany
Just do it Just do wit.
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Rule 3
D, T, Z. or S +
Vowel
When a word that ends in
D, T, Z, or S is followed by
Y, the words are
connected.
Sound is CH or J.
Let you
Letchu
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Connected Speech

T + Y = CH sound
What’s your … Watcher…
Don’t you Dontchu
Can’t you Cantchu
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Connected Speech

D + Y = J sound

Could you Couldju…

Did you Didju

Find your Findjer

Education Edjucation
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Connected Speech

More examples
IBM I beeyem
MIT Eh mytee
USA Youwehsay
CIA Seeyay ey
FBI Ef bee yay
COD Seeyoh dee
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3.
Reductions
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Reductions

FOR
1. Stress…when situated at the END of the sentence.
This is the mobile I’m looking FOR.
2. Unstress…when situated at the BEGINNING or MIDDLE of
the sentence.
I’ll give you the package for(fur)$200.
For(fur) nine years, I have been with her.
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Reductions
Car Buyer: Hi, I'm in the market  FOR(fur) a car.
Salesman: And what are you looking  FOR?
Car Buyer: I'm looking  FOR(fur) something  my daughter to drive to work.
Salesman: I've got the thing  FOR(fur) you . Take a look.
Car Buyer: What are you asking  FOR(fur) it?
Salesman: I'll give it to you  FOR(fur) $200 over invoice.
Car Buyer: Ah, let me take it  FOR(fur) a test drive first.
Salesman:  How did it go?
Car Buyer: I'll take it. When can you have the paperwork
ready  FOR(fur)  me to sign?
Salesman: How about Friday? Is that a good day FOR(fur) you, say 10:00?
Car Buyer:  See you then.
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Reductions

OR /er/
▸ This one or(er) that one? ▸ My place or(er) your place?
▸ Lunch or(er) dinner
▸ Here or(er) there? ▸ In or(er) out?
▸ Meat or(er) fish
▸ Red or(er) blue? ▸ Up or(er) down?
▸ Mashed potato or(er) fries?
▸ New or(er) used? ▸ Left or(er) right?
▸ Coffee or(er) tea?
▸ Old or(er) new? ▸ East or(er) west?
▸ Cake or(er) ice cream?
▸ Him or(er) her?
▸ Small, Medium, or(er)

large?
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Reductions
YOUR & YOU’RE /yer/
Seller:   May I help you?
Customer: Yes, I’d like to get a CD.
Seller:   For how much?
Customer: A $100 cd.
Seller: OK, you’re(yer) going to have to fill out this form. Put  your name and address here,
and then sign your full name at the bottom.
Customer: First, can I ask what  your(yer) current CD rates are?
I didn't see them posted in the window.
Seller: Ahh, here’s a flyer with rates that'll be good until Friday.
If you want to get these rates,  you’re(yer) going to have to buy the CD by Friday.
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Reductions

DROPPED SYLLABLES
▸ Evening ev’ning ▸ Interest int’rest
▸ Aspirin asp’rin
▸ Every ev’ry ▸ Margaret Marg’ret
▸ Average av’rage
▸ Family fam’ly ▸ Chocolate choc’late
▸ Barbara Barb’ra
▸ Favorite fav’rite ▸ Diaper di’per
▸ Business bus’ness
▸ Federal fed’ral ▸ Catholic cath’lic
▸ Camera cam’ra
▸ General gen’ral
▸ Different diff’rent
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Reductions DROPPED SYLLABLES

▸ Aspirin asp’rin ▸ Evening ev’ning ▸ Interest int’rest

▸ Average av’rage ▸ Every ev’ry ▸ Margaret Marg’ret

▸ Barbara Barb’ra ▸ Family fam’ly ▸ Chocolate choc’late

▸ Business bus’ness ▸ Favorite fav’rite ▸ Diaper di’per

▸ Camera cam’ra ▸ Federal fed’ral ▸ Catholic cath’lic

▸ Different diff’rent ▸ General gen’ral

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Reductions DROPPED SYLLABLES

▸ Nursery nurs’ry ▸ Memory mem’ry ▸ Coverage cov’rage

▸ Bakery bak’ry ▸ Probably prob’ly ▸ History hist’ry

▸ Finally fin’lly ▸ Restaurant rest’rant ▸ Accidentally accident’ly

▸ Groceries groc’ries ▸ Separate sep’rate ▸ Basically basic’lly

▸ Interest Int’rest ▸ Several sev’ral ▸ Desperate desp’rate

▸ Jewelry jew’lry ▸ Liberal lib’ral ▸ Comfortable comf’table

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4.
Connected Speech
Sounds Link (Liaisons)
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5.
Intonation
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What is

Intonation
It is the rise and fall or ups
and downs of the voice in
speaking.
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Intonation

Types of Intonation

1. Rising Intonation

2. Falling Intonation
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Intonation

Rising Intonation
1. ENUMERATING or SERIES OF WORDS

I bought some bread, butter, cheese, and soda.

I would need your name, address, age,

and credit card number.

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Intonation

Rising Intonation
2. YES or NO questions.
(also known as Closed-ended questions)

Are you okay? (Yes/No)

Is Reggie in his office? (Yes/No)

Are you mad at me? (Yes/No)

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Intonation

Rising Intonation
3. For questions that start with Have? Am? Will?
Was? Were? Has?

Have you listened to my last class? (Yes/No)

Am I qualified for the job? (Yes/No)

Has he visited you lately? (Yes/No)

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Intonation

Falling Intonation
1. STATEMENTS
Our headquarters is in Illinois.

She doesn’t have a car.

You shall receive a callback the day after tomorrow.

We are currently experiencing a system breakdown.

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Intonation

Falling Intonation
2. OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

What are you showing on your screen?

Where did you find the equipment manual?

What could have caused the extra charges?

(Answers require more than yes or no)

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Intonation

Falling Intonation
3. Questions that start with
Whose…? Who…? Which…? Whom…?
Whose mobile phone do you use?

Who are you?

Which is the right step?

Whom did you call?

(Answers require more than yes or no)

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