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  • Unit Five: Word Stress Patterns

    This online course is adapted from:Clear Speech: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in North American English (Second Edition) (Student's Book)


    B: Review: Identifying stressed syllables

    Listen. Underline the stressed syllable in each word. Remember that the vowel in the stressed syllable is extra long and extra clear.

    hamburger           extremely                   refrigerate                  electric
    cookies               accurate                     refrigerator                 electrical
    pizza                   dinner                         refrigeration               electrification


    F: Pronouncing two clear vowels together
    When two vowels are next to each other in a word, but in separate syllables, they are both clear. Usually , the second clear vowel  has the stress, so it is longer.

    Listen and repeat these words.

    biology  (biology )             piano   (piano)            reaction          (reaction )
    reality                                geography                    geology
    create                                recreation                    association

    G: Stress in two- syllable nouns and verbs

    The following two- syllable words have a noun form and a verb form.

    Listen and underline the  stressed syllables. Which syllable is stressed for the nouns? which syllable is stressed for the verbs?

         Noun                       Verb

    1. record                                    record
    2. object                                    object
    3. permit                                     permit
    4. suspect                                   suspect
    5. import                                     import 
    6. rebel                                       rebel
    7. present                                   present
    8. conflict                                   conflict 
    9. insult                                       insult 
    Practice saying the noun and verb form of each word.

    Read this rule.

    Stress Rule for Two-Syllable verb forms

    When a two-syllable word can be used as a noun or a verb, the verb form is usually stressed on the second syllable.

    H: Which word do you hear?

    Listen. Identify  the word you hear.


       Noun                         Verb
    1.  contract                              contract
    2.  export                                 export
    3. progress                               progress
    4. reject                                   reject
    5. transport                              transport
    6. present                                present
    7. conflict                                conflict
    8. convert                                convert  
    J: Music of English

    Listen to the following sentences.

    Do they suspect him?
    Yes, He's a suspect. 

    Listen again. Then say the sentences at least three times, until you can say them easily, like a little song.

    N: The spelling -ow- pronounced /a(w)/ as in "cow"
    As you learned in Unit 4, the letters -ow- are usually pronounced with the sound /o(w)/  as  in  "know"  and "show" . But sometimes -ow-  is pronounced with a different vowel sound , /a(w)/ as in "cow".
    Listen  and repeat these words.

    Cow /a(w)/

    now                   brown
    how                   crowd 
    down                 allow
     town                 towel
    gown                  powder
    Practice saying these sentences.

    1. These town is very crowded.
    2. Please hand me the brown towel.
    3. Now she understand how to do it 

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American Accent Video Training

· Session 1 R and W
· Session 2 Voicing, S and Z
· Session 3 TH, Voiced T
· Session 4 F and V, Sh and Voiced SH
· Session 5 L
· Session 6 Word Endings
· Session 7 DG and Ch, H
· Session 8 Vowel Overview, I and EE
· Session 9 OW and AE
· Session 10 OO, UH, EH
· Session 11 AU, AH, A
· Session 12 Tongue Twisters
· Session 13 Phrase Reductions, Intonation
· Session 14 Reading Passages
· Session 15 Reading Passages - 15a -15b

Pronunciation Lessons : Coming Soon!

1 Pronouncing /a/, /ae/, and uh Part 1
 2 Pronouncing /a/, /ae/, and uh Part 2
 3 Pronouncing /iy/, /i/, /uw/, /u/, and /e/ Part 1
4 Pronouncing /iy/, /i/, /uw/, /u/, and /e/ Part 2
5 Long Vowels, Short Vowels and Spelling
6 Pronouncing Glides + Vowel Review
7 The Schwa
8 The American R
9 The American L
10 The B, P, V, and F
11 The D, T and -ed
12 The S, Z and TH
13 The SH, ZH, CH and J
14 The K, G, M, N, NG
15 The H, W, and Y
16 Pronunciation Review

Accent Lessons Coming Soon!

1 Introduction to Word Intonation
2 Intonation in Words Part 1
3 Intonation in Words Part 2
4 Intonation in Words Part 3
5 Intonation in Words Part 4
6 Unusual Word Stress Patterns
7 Linking Words Together
8 Compound Nouns and Descriptive Phrases
9 Phrasal Verbs, Spelling, and Numbers
10 Content Words and Structure Words
11 Pronouncing Structure Words Part 1
12 Pronouncing Structure Words Part 2
13 Rhythm and Timing
14 Speeding up Modals
15 More on Modals
16 Asking Questions
17 Tag Questions
18 Emphatic and Contrastive Stress
19 Sequencing and Conversational Tone
20 Compound and Complex Sentences

THE AMERICAN ACCENT AUDIO COURSE Coming Soon!

If you already feel confident about your pronunciation but would like to know more about ACCENT (intonation, rhythm, timing, and mood) then our 16 hour AUDIO course is for you.

Unit One Introduction to the American Accent
1 What is Accent?
2 An Overview of the American Accent

Unit Two Breaking English into Pieces
3 Meet the Schwa
4 The American T

Unit Three Word Intonation Patterns
5 Intonation Patterns of 1 & 2 Syllable Words
6 Intonation Patterns of 3 & 4 Syllable Words
Unit Four Unusual Word Intonation
7 Words that Shift Stress
8 Missing Syllables

Unit Five Descriptive Phrases and Compound Nouns
9 Compound Nouns vs. Descriptive Phrases
10 Phrasal Verbs and More

Unit Six Linking Words Together
11 Linking Words

Unit Seven Content and Structure Words
12 Content Words
13 Structure Words

Unit Eight Rhythm and Timing
14 Rhythm and Timing
15 Reducing Modals
16 Phrasing

Unit Nine Sentence Stress
17 Normal Sentence Stress
18 Emphatic and Contrastive Stress

Unit Ten Asking Questions
19 Asking Questions
20 Tag Questions

Unit Eleven Compound and Complex Sentences
21 Sequencing
22 Complex Sentences

Unit Twelve Clear Speech
23 Emotion and Mood
24 Putting it All Together