STRESS
I. Syllables and stress:
Syllables:
Stress:
1. friend /frend/ → 1 syllable
1. friend /frend/ → 1 syllable, no stress
2. music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ → 2 syllables
2. music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ → 2 syllables, stress on the first syllable
3. furniture /ˈfɜːnɪtʃə(r)/ → 3 syllables
3. participate /pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt/ → 4 syllables, stress on the second
4. participate /pɑːˈtɪsɪpeɪt/ → 4 syllables
5. examination /ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃn/ → 5
syllables
syllable
4. examination /ɪɡˌzæmɪˈneɪʃn/ → 5 syllables, stress on the
fourth syllable
II. Stress in two-syllable words:
Stress on the first syllable:
Stress on the second syllable:
1. climate /ˈklaɪmət/
1. advice /ədˈvaɪs/
2. actor /ˈæktə(r)/
2. excite /ɪkˈsaɪt/
3. pleasure /ˈpleʒə(r)/
3. confused /kənˈfjuːzd/
4. follow /ˈfɒləʊ/
4. surprised /səˈpraɪzd/
III. Stress in two-syllable words: Numbers and noun compounds:
a. Stress in numbers:
- Numbers ending in –ty: stress on the first syllable.
- Numbers ending in –teen: stress on the last syllable.
- Numbers ending in –teen followed by a noun: stress on the first syllable.
 
Example 1: Eighteen million UK viewers saw the series.
 
Example 2: How many countries bought the series? Eighteen.
b. Stress in noun compounds:
- A noun compound: two words coming together to form a new noun.
- The new noun sometimes written as one word and sometimes as two words.
- The new noun used and pronounced as a single word, with one main stress, usually on the first word
in the compound.
1. airplane /ˈeəpleɪn/
3. drugstore /ˈdrʌɡstɔː(r)/
2. blackboard /ˈblækbɔːd/
4. landlord /ˈlændlɔːd/
IV. Stress in longer words:
1. animal /ˈænɪml/ → 3 syllables, stress on the first syllable
2. condition /kənˈdɪʃn/ → 3 syllables, stress on the second syllable
3. fortunately /ˈfɔːtʃənətli/ → 4 syllables, stress on the first syllable
4. community /kəˈmjuːnəti/ → 4 syllables, stress on the second syllable
5. considerable /kənˈsɪdərəbl/ → 5 syllables, stress on the second syllable
6. electricity /ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/ → 5 syllables, stress on the third syllable
V. Sentence stress: stressed words:
1. Content words: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs
2. Interrogative words: who, whose, when, where, why, what, how… when beginning questions
3. Demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those when not followed by a noun
4. Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
VI. Sentence stress: unstressed words:
1. Articles: a, an, the
2. Prepositions: to, from, with, in, on, through, for, by, over, under,…
3. Subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
4. Possessive pronouns: my, your, his, her, our, their
5. Object pronouns: me, you, her, him, us, them
6. Demonstrative adjectives: this, that, these, those when followed by a noun
7. Forms of the verb “be”: am, are, is was, were, aren’t, isn’t, wasn’t, weren’t
8. “There is” and “there are”
9. “To” before a verb
10. Auxiliary verbs: am, is, are, was, were, do, does, did, have, has, had, isn’t, wasn’t, didn’t
11. Modal auxiliaries: can, must, have to, should, could, would,…
12. Who, whose, when, where, why, what, how in the middle of a sentence
13. Other short function words: and, but, or, so, not, if, as, because, whether, since, until, though, although
VII. Sentence stress: exceptions:
1. Negative modal can’t
2. Auxiliary verbs and modal auxiliaries not followed by a verb
INTONATION
I. Falling intonation:
- To produce falling intonation, lower your voice at the end of a sentence.
- Falling intonation expresses completeness or certainty.
- Falling intonation is used in statements, commands, and WH-questions.
 Statement: It’s nice to meet you.
 Command: Do it now. 
 WH-question: Where are you going?
II. Rising intonation:
- To produce rising intonation, raise the pitch of your voice at the end of a sentence.
- Rising intonation expresses incompleteness – that something more could, should, or will be said by
either the speaker or the listener, and uncertainty.
- Rising intonation is used in yes-no questions, and when naming items on a list or when offering
choices, except for the last item or choice. For the last item or choice, use falling intonation.
 Yes-no question: Did he work yesterday?
 Naming items on a list: I need shoes, socks, shirts, and pants
 Offering choices: Would you like potatoes or carrots?
III. Falling-rising intonation:
- In falling-rising intonation, the pitch first jumps up and falls (like falling intonation) but then rises
slightly.
- Falling-rising intonation expresses incompleteness (you have something more to say) and uncertainty.
- Falling-rising intonation is used with unfinished thoughts and with introductory words such as actually
or by the way.
 With an unfinished thought: I bought the book, but I didn’t read it.
 With an introductory word: Actually, it was pretty good.