English Pronunciation
Workshop
Anita L. Maloney, MSCCC/SLP
amaloney@palomar.edu

01
01
Agenda

1. Counting Syllables

2. Mouth Yoga

3. STRESS

4. Words and Sentences
Mouth Yoga!
TAKE NOTES!!!
Can you count syllables?
The longer the word the more syllables there are.
A syllable is a basic unit of speech generally containing only one vowel sound. The
vowel may stand alone, have a consonant in front of it and/or have a consonant at
the end.
For Example:
Vowel - 2 syllables
Consonant - 3 syllables
Speech - 1 syllable
Accent - 2 syllables
VO - WEL
CON - SO - NANT
SPEECH
AC - CENT
Let the Games Begin
CELEBRATE DIVERSITY
TOGETHER WE ARE ONE
SIMILARITIES
WE ALL SPEAK.
WE ALL HAVE A UNIQUE VOICE.
WE ALL HAVE A UNIQUE STYLE.
WE ALL WANT TO COMMUNICATE.
EVEN IF WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE ALL OF THE
ABOVE IS TRUE.
AN ACCENT IS WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE.
AN ACCENT IS YOUR SONG OR MELODY.
DIFFERENCES
ENGLISH IS NOT A PHONETIC BASED LANGUAGE.
ENGLISH IS A STRESS BASED LANGUAGE.
WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS STRESSED.
ENGLISH HAS MANY INCONSISTENCIES.
WHAT IS STRESS ?
STRESS when speaking is what we give emphasis or importance to.
At the single word level and single syllable level there is stress only
in one place or on the whole word.
For Example:
Cat
Milk
Read
Write
Run
Play
Stress at the word level is


generally on the first syllable
of the word. This is due to
the Germanic language
base to English. However,
due to other language
influences such as French,
Latin, Greek, etcetera, the
stress in an English word
may vary.
eager
engineer
Egyptian unique
Suffixes create
movement of stress
or a change in the
melody/rhythm of
the word.
Examples of suffixes creating
movement of stress.
democrat
empath
empathy
sympathy
photograph
democratic
empathic
empathetic
sympathetic
photographic
democracy
photography
Tips at the word level

For two syllable words, the stress is at the beginning for NOUNS and
ADJECTIVES and on the second syllable in VERBS

For words with suffixes* (-er, -est or -es, -ed, -ly, -ite), the stress usually stays
with the first syllable

Also for words with -ia, -ial, -ible, -ify, -logy, -ify, -ual, the stress stays with the
first syllable

For suffixes* -ate, -ize, -ist and –ous, the stress is on the second syllable before
the suffix (amputate, mysterious congratulate)

The stress is before the suffix* -ic as in optic, electric, basic

Suffixes* -tion, -ian, -ity create stress in the syllable before (vacation, librarian,
necessity)
*suffix - a word ending
**prefix - a syllable or sound at the beginning of the word
EXAMPLES OF NOUN VS. VERB STRESS IN 2
SYLLABLE WORDS REVIEW
NOUNS
VERBS
SUSPECT
SUSPECT
PRESENT
PRESENT
CONFLICT
CONFLICT
PROJECT
PROJECT
PERMIT
PERMIT
Let the Games Begin
COMPOUND WORDS
STRESS THE FIRST WORD
Let the Games Begin
EXAMPLES OF OTHER COMPOUND WORDS
Remember that the stress is on the first word in compound
words. Compound words can be written as one word or in two
words or with a hyphen.
Peanut Butter
Post Office
Real Estate
Full Moon
Half Sister
Attorney General
Daughter-in-law
mass-produced
six-year-old
All languages have
their own melody
or rhythm.
Listen…
 01
REMEMBER YOU HAVE YOUR
OWN UNIQUE MELODY
WHEN SPEAKING.
TAKE NOTES!!!
The Music of Sentences
Stress in sentences = INFORMATION
WORDS - Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs,
Negatives
INFORMATION WORDS ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE,
WHY and HOW.
Unstressed words
Articles, pronouns, possessives, prepositions,
auxiliary verbs and conjunctions are function
words.
EXAMPLES OF MESSAGES
I AM GOING TO COLLEGE NEXT YEAR.
MY SISTER IS PREGNANT.
MY BROTHER IS GETTING MARRIED NEXT YEAR.
I MISSED MY FLIGHT AND NEED YOU
TO CALL ME.
THE TEACHER SAID THERE IS A QUIZ
TOMORROW ON CHAPTER 22.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT?
I’m leaving on Monday and will be on vacation until
Friday.
I need you to pick me up at school at 4:00 PM in front
of the back gate.
The doctor called to cancel your appointment.
I feel sick and need a ride to the doctor.
Joe is not coming to the meeting because he is sick.
What’s
important?
The messenger decides.
WHERE IS THE STRESS?
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
never
never
never
never
never
never
never
never
never
said
said
said
said
said
said
said
said
said
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
saw
saw
saw
saw
saw
saw
saw
saw
saw
him
him
him
him
him
him
him
him
him
take
take
take
take
take
take
take
take
take
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
the
money.
money.
money.
money.
money.
money.
money.
money.
money.
SUMMARY
1.WE EACH HAVE A UNIQUE EXPRESSION.
2.THIS EXPRESSION INCLUDES OUR VOICE.
3.THIS EXPRESSION INCLUDES OUR PRONOUNCIATION.
4.ENGLISH IS A STRESS BASED LANGUAGE.
5.ENGLISH IS DIRECT.
6.ENGLISH HAS MANY EXCEPTIONS EVEN WITH PRONUNCIATION.
7. USUALLY THE FIRST SYLLABLE IS STRESSED.
8. USUALLY THE CONTENT WORDS ARE STRESSED.
CONCLUSIONS
You have already improved your pronunciation as an
English speaker by completing this workshop.
KEEP PRACTICING!