Stress

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Stress is the emphasis placed on certain syllables in words or certain words in sentences. It makes speech clear and helps listeners understand meaning. In English, stress can change the meaning of a word or sentence, so learning it is important for proper pronunciation and communication.

Types of Stress

  1. Word Stress
    Word stress happens when one syllable in a word is pronounced more strongly than the others. The stressed syllable is longer, louder, and clearer than the rest.

Examples:

  • "TA-ble" (Stress on the first syllable)
  • "a-BOUT" (Stress on the second syllable)
  • "com-PU-ter" (Stress on the second syllable)

Word stress is fixed in English, meaning it does not change when the word is used in a sentence. However, some words change their meaning depending on stress, such as noun-verb pairs.

Examples:

  • "CON-tract" (Noun, a legal agreement) vs. "con-TRACT" (Verb, to become smaller)
  • "RE-cord" (Noun, a stored document) vs. "re-CORD" (Verb, to save information)
  1. Sentence Stress
    Sentence stress is when certain words in a sentence are emphasized to create meaning and rhythm.

Important words (called content words) like nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are usually stressed. Less important words (called function words) like prepositions, conjunctions, and auxiliary verbs are usually unstressed. Examples:

  • "I WANT to GO home." (The important words "WANT" and "GO" are stressed.)
  • "She CAN’T come TODAY." (The important words "CAN’T" and "TODAY" are stressed.)

Sentence stress can also change meaning.

Examples:

  • "I didn't SAY she stole the money." (Someone else said it.)
  • "I didn't say SHE stole the money." (Someone else stole it.)
  • "I didn't say she stole THE money." (Maybe she stole something else.)
  1. Contrastive Stress
    Contrastive stress is used to highlight a specific word for emphasis. It helps correct information or show a contrast.

Examples:

  • "I wanted TEA, not coffee!" (Emphasizing "TEA")
  • "She LOVES pizza, but he HATES it." (Emphasizing the contrast between "LOVES" and "HATES")
  1. Emphatic Stress
    Emphatic stress is used to show strong emotion or intensity. It is often used to express surprise, anger, or excitement.

Examples:

  • "That was the BEST movie ever!"
  • "I REALLY don’t like that idea."

Why Stress is Important

  • It makes speech clear and easy to understand.
  • It helps in distinguishing meanings of words and sentences.
  • It improves fluency and natural rhythm in speech.
  • It helps in expressing emotions and emphasis.

Conclusion

Stress is a key part of pronunciation in English. It helps in making speech clear and meaningful. Word stress makes certain syllables stronger, while sentence stress highlights important words. Contrastive stress and emphatic stress help in emphasizing meaning. Learning stress patterns improves both speaking and listening skills.

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