This document provides techniques for teaching English word stress. It discusses that stress is a major characteristic of English with strong and weak syllables. There are no consistent rules for stress in English as it is a mixture of Germanic and Romance languages. Improperly placed stress can cause misunderstanding. Stress placement may also indicate grammatical function by changing a word's part of speech. The document then outlines rules for stress placement in two-syllable words, compounds, prefixes, suffixes, and noun/verb homographs. It concludes with teaching ideas like exercises contrasting stress patterns in words.

1. ENGLISH PHONOLOGY:
PRONUNCIATION
VIDEO LESSON 4
WORD STRESS
Techniques to teach word stress
Mgs. Nina Nesterenko

2. the relative prominence
stress of syllables
• Stress is one of the vocal features.
• Major characteristic of the English language -
the use of strong and weak stress.
There are NO consistent rules in English.
The main reason for the complexity of stress in
English the language is a mixture of
Germanic and Romance languages. This is why
stress is unpredictable and not systematic.

3. Improperly placed stress causes misunderstanding:
invalid –invalid
Stress placement may also have a grammatical function –
changing the stress to another syllable can change the part
of speech. Noun Verb
present and present
project and project
record and record
desert and dessert
convert –and convert

4. Stress and Vowel Reduction
In English, unstressed syllables and vowels tend
to sound alike.
Example:
action - / æk- ʃn / and NOT / æk- ʃon /
people - / pi: pl / and NOT / pi: - pɔl /
nation - / neɪ- ʃn / and NOT / neɪ- ʃon /
vision - / vɪ - ʒn / and NOT / vɪ - ʒon /
This indistinct pronunciation and
shortening of the unstressed syllable in
English is called VOWEL REDUCTION.

5. The phenomenon of vowel reduction in
English affects only those syllables that are
completely without stress.
Example: curtain - / k ə rtn /
certain - / s ə r t n /
apple - / æ p l /
Vowel reduction in unstressed syllables
also normally takes place in longer
English words.
Example: reduction / r ɪ-d ʌ- k ʃn /

6. RULES of WORD STRESS
Stress on TWO - SYLLABLE words
If the word does not have
a suffix, and in the
majority of two-syllable
words stress usually goes
on the first syllable.

7. No suffix two-syllables Nouns in general
cherry window jacket
devil Tuesday table
father breakfast paper
vanish cupcake money
morning

8. Compound words Numbers ( of ten )
flashcard twenty thirty forty
bookstore fifty sixty seventy
stoplight eighty ninety

9. Combinations of words which are treated as single units
from the point of view that their meanings are called
compound
In most compound
words, the stress is on
the first part, as in the
example: bus stop
In longer compounds, the first element
has the main stress, and the other part
has weaker stress.
Example: crossword,baseball, strawberry, airport,
photocopy

10. TWO-SYLLABLES word stress
Most two-syllable verbs
have stress on the second
syllable, even if they do
not come from an original
one- syllable word.
Example:report, prepare,outrun, invite
believe, support, complete

11. There are some exceptions regarding the change
of the part of speech as in examples below.
(there is not a change of stress)
VERB NOUN
picture picture
promise promise
reply reply
travel travel
visit visit

12. When the prefix re- means again, it
receives the strong stress:
Ex: re-do, re-name, re-tell, re-make, re-dress
When the prefix re- begins a word,
and it does not mean again, it is
UNSTRESSED
Ex: remark, remind, reward, require, refuse

13. Stress in NOUN / VERB Homographs
Remember
Nouns – stress on Verbs – stress on
the first syllable the second syllable
NOUNS VERBS
conflict ( controversy) conflict ( to clash )
content ( subject matter ) content ( to satisfy)
desert ( barren region ) desert ( to abandon )
contest ( competition) contest ( to dispute)
increase ( enlargement) increase (to make larger)

14. We can build longer word by
adding parts to the
beginning or end of shorter
word. Stress usually stays
on the same syllable as in
the original word.
Example:
un-der- line (original word is line)
re-co-llect (original word is collect)

15. In English, the suffixes – ic, - ical ,
as in words basic, medical
ARE ALLWAYS UNSTRESSED
When suffixes are
added to English
words, the stress
remains on the
same syllable
Ex: real - real +ly – real +ize
separate – separate+ly

16. BUT !
when the suffixes - tion / -ity
are added to English words, the
stress goes automatically to the
syllables immediately preceding
the suffix:
Ex: real – realization - reality
nation- nationalization-
nationality

17. RULES TO REMEMBER
Reflexive pronouns
are usually stressed
on the SECOND
syllable
Examples:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, ourselves.
Compound verbs
are usually stressed
on the SECOND or
LAST syllable.
Examples:
outrun, overlook, overfeed, undergo

18. Teaching ideas and techniques
Listen and pronounce the stress pattern differences
--Please record the record.
- Please don’t desert me in a desert.
- We project that our project will be successful
- She will present you with a present.
Work with a dictionary to find examples with noun/
verb Homographs
Write your own senteces to contrast the meaning of the
Homographs. ( ex: project and project )
Make role plays or dialogues with Homographs.

19. Teaching ideas and techniques
Listen and circle/ underline the words with the stress
on the FIRST syllable
Ex: eighty , accept, window, vowel, resighn, machine, mother
Listen and circle/ underline the words with the stress
on the SECOND syllable:
Ex: around, husband, severe, summer, complete , himself, winter
Write the words in the corresponding column
according to the stressed syllable
baseball, allow, invite, eighty, complete, myself, behind
FIRST SYLLABLE SECOND SYLLABLE
---------------------------- --------------------------------
---------------------------- --------------------------------

20. Teaching ideas and techniques
Read the sentences and fill in the blank with compound
nouns formed from the two boldfaced words. Stress the
words correctly.
Ex: A rack that holds coats is a ….(coatrack)
A juice made from oranges is called…..
A store that sells books is called ….
When you have an ache in your head,
you have a …………
Listen and mark the stressed syllable in these words:
sunglasses, bedroom, lipstick, headache, goldfish

21. Teaching ideas and techniques
Listen and repeat the pairs of words and the
sentences. Remember to stess re- only when it means “
again”.
re-mark ( to mark smth again) re-mark ( to comment)
re-lay (to lay smth down again) re-lay ( to pass on a message)
Re-do this model, but re-duce the size.
Re-mind me to re-sort the index cards.
Will he re-fuse to re-print this book?
They will re-quire you to re-write the letter.
Write / say your own sentences as in the exercise above.

22. Teaching ideas and techniques
Classify the words below according to their stressed
syllable:
Winter, acceptance, breakfast, respect, eminent, absolute,
afternoon, examine, employer, policeman, herself,report
First stressed Second stressed Last stressed
syllable syllable syllable

23. Thank you!
To be continued!....
nnesterenko@utpl.edu.ec