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L8.4 Syllables and Stress in Words

This module covers the fundamentals of syllables and stress in English pronunciation, explaining that every syllable must contain a vowel. It outlines various syllable types, stress rules for different word categories, and provides examples to illustrate these concepts. The conclusion encourages regular practice and the use of dictionaries to enhance pronunciation skills.

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14 views

L8.4 Syllables and Stress in Words

This module covers the fundamentals of syllables and stress in English pronunciation, explaining that every syllable must contain a vowel. It outlines various syllable types, stress rules for different word categories, and provides examples to illustrate these concepts. The conclusion encourages regular practice and the use of dictionaries to enhance pronunciation skills.

Uploaded by

abhishek36063
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Syllables, Stress, and Pronunciation

Introduction

Welcome to this module! Today's topic is titled Syllables and Stress in Pronunciation. In this module,
we will explore the rules of stress and syllabification in English pronunciation. Let's get started!

Understanding Syllables

Syllables are units into which a word is divided while pronouncing it. The golden rule is that every
syllable must have a vowel but not necessarily a consonant.

Examples of Syllables:

1. One-Syllable Words (Monosyllabic):

o Examples: cat, buy, force, drink, walk

2. Two-Syllable Words (Disyllabic):

o Examples: begin, bury, equal, happy, funny

3. Three-Syllable Words:

o Examples: mosquito, September, department, camera, vitamin

4. Four-Syllable Words:

o Examples: information, January, American, discovery, dictionary

5. More Than Four-Syllable Words:

o Examples vary based on word complexity.

Syllabification Test

To identify syllables, try the jaw-drop test:

1. Place your hand under your jaw.

2. Pronounce the word.

3. Count how many times your jaw drops – this indicates the number of syllables.

Examples:

 One Syllable: cat, buy, force, drink, walk

 Two Syllables: begin, bury, equal, happy, funny

 Three Syllables: mosquito, September, department

 Four Syllables: information, January, American

Word Stress
Stress refers to syllables pronounced with greater force.

Golden Rules of Stress:

1. A word can have only one primary stress.

2. Only vowels are stressed, not consonants.

3. Many exceptions exist to stress rules.

Examples of Stressed Syllables:

 Water: stress on "wah" – water

 People: stress on "peo" – people

 Together: stress on "get" – together

 Potato: stress on "ta" – potato

 Banana: stress on "na" – banana

Stress Rules

1. Two-Syllable Nouns and Adjectives

 Stress is on the first syllable.

o Examples: rainy (rainy), samples (samples), carton (carton), content (content)

2. Two-Syllable Verbs and Prepositions

 Stress is on the second syllable.

o Examples: relax (relax), perceive (perceive), direct (direct), among (among)

3. Words with Specific Suffixes

 Suffixes such as -er, -ly: Stress on the first syllable.

o Examples: director (director), manager (manager), orderly (orderly)

 Suffixes such as -able, -ary, -ible: Stress on the syllable before the suffix.

o Examples:

 Understandable: understandable

 Durable: durable

 Primary: primary

 Visible: visible

 Magical: magical

4. Words Ending with -ee, -ese, -ique, -ette

 Stress is on the suffix.


o Examples: agree (agree), guarantee (guarantee), unique (unique), physique
(physique)

5. Prefixes

 Prefixes such as un-, in-, pre-, ex-, mis- are stressed.

o Examples: inefficient (inefficient), prearranged (prearranged)

6. Compound Words

 Compound Nouns: Stress is on the first word.

o Examples: seafood (seafood), toothpaste (toothpaste)

 Compound Adjectives: Stress is on the second word.

o Examples: rock solid (rock solid), sparkling red (sparkling red)

 Phrasal Verbs: Stress is on the preposition.

o Examples: black out (black out), break down (break down)

7. Reflexive Pronouns

 Stress is on the second syllable.

o Examples: myself (myself), themselves (themselves), ourselves (ourselves)

Tip for Learning Stress Patterns

Use dictionaries to learn word stress. In dictionaries, stressed syllables are often marked with an
apostrophe (‘).

Example:

 Animation: ani‘mation

 Guarantee: guaran‘tee

Conclusion

This module introduced you to the basics of syllables, stress rules, and their pronunciation patterns.
Practice regularly using these guidelines and tools like dictionaries to improve your pronunciation.
Stay safe and happy learning!

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