In
English, we do not say each syllable with the same force or strength. In one
word, we accentuate ONE syllable. We say one syllable
very loudly (big, strong, important) and all the other
syllables very quietly.
Let's
take 3 words: photograph, photographer and photographic.
Do they sound the same when spoken? No. Because we accentuate (stress) ONE
syllable in each word. And it is not always the same syllable. So the shape of
each word is different.
|
click word to hear
 |
shape
|
total
syllables |
stressed
syllable |
|
PHO TO GRAPH
|
   |
3
|
#1
|
|
PHO TO GRAPH ER
|
|
4
|
#2
|
|
PHO TO GRAPH IC
|
|
4
|
#3
|
This
happens in ALL words with 2 or more syllables: TEACHer, JaPAN, CHINa, aBOVE,
converSAtion, INteresting, imPORtant, deMAND, etCETera, etCETera, etCETera
The
syllables that are not stressed are weak or small or quiet.
Native speakers of English listen for the STRESSED syllables, not the weak
syllables. If you use word stress in your speech, you will instantly and
automatically improve your pronunciation and your comprehension.
Try
to hear the stress in individual words each time you listen to English - on the
radio, or in films for example. Your first step is to HEAR and recognise it.
After that, you can USE it!
There
are two very important rules about word stress:
- One
word, one stress. (One
word cannot have two stresses. So if you hear two stresses, you have heard
two words, not one word.)
- The
stress is always on a vowel.
