What is Stress?
Stress, as it relates to English, is emphasis. There are two types of stress in English. The first type is word stress, which occurs at the syllable level within a word. The second type is sentence stress, which occurs at the word level within a sentence. We will begin with word stress.
Correct use of stress adds a sort of melody and rhythm to our speaking. Melody comes from the rise and fall of the pitch of the voice; rhythm comes from slight variations in the speed of pronunciation of words or syllables.
Every multisyllable word has one syllable that is stressed. With practice, you will notice the differences between the stressed syllable and the other syllables in a word because:
- Its pitch is different, usually higher;
- It is said more loudly;
- It is said longer; and
- The vowel sound is pronounced clearly.
These adjustments for stress are subtle and fleeting because they must be. It wouldn’t benefit our communication to dawdle over every accented syllable. Our speech generally moves along, so most of us drive through individual words to keep the message understandable.
As a result, word stress is difficult to detect when you're first introduced to it. However, the more you listen for it, the more you'll hear it. The biggest clue for the stressed syllable is the vowel sound; it will be clear. The vowel sounds in unstressed syllables are much less distinct. We’ll learn more about that later.
Why Is Stress Important?
In general, understanding word stress is important because it's a major factor in pronunciation clarity. Placing stress on the wrong syllable of one word in a sentence can make the word unintelligible. In turn, it can make the sentence unclear.
A good illustration comes from a 2003 Mike Myers movie (View from the Top) in which he repeatedly said, “You put the wrong em-PHA-sis on the wrong syl-LAB-le.
In any case, you might ask: if syllable stress impacts pronunciation, what does it have to do with learning to read?
Great question!
How Stress Impacts Your Reading
Let's agree that it's critical to use correct syllable stress when you are speaking so others can understand. And, by the way, if you learned to speak English by listening to other native English speakers, you should be fine.
However, when you are reading, the only voice you hear is in your head. That’s true! It’s called “subvocalization.” It’s the process of your brain comprehending written words ty translating them into the sounds of speech. Call it “your inner voice.” It’s assumed that we do it because we learned to read by reading aloud.
Thus, when you encounter an unfamiliar word, you must be able to decode it, subdivide it, and apply the correct stress to be able to read and understand it. This may sound impossible, but it’s not. Just like you, everyone who loves reading and learning had to get comfortable with syllable stress, and you can, too.
How Can You Know What to Stress?
The two best tools for learning syllable stress are listening and speaking. As you learn about stress, you'll begin to notice how it functions listening to those around you speaking. You can also record yourself speaking naturally, and you'll find it there. The more you practice listening, the more you'll hear it.
Your vocabulary is another factor in learning stress. If a word is already part of your speaking vocabulary, you already know how it's pronounced. You may never have seen it written, so it might not be immediately understood. However, when you decode it, breaking it into syllables, you're likely to know which syllable is stressed.
There are also rules and patterns that we'll learn. Trial and error is useful, too. When you're struggling with a new word, it helps to pronounce it a few times, moving the stress to a different syllable each time. Also, don't forget about context clues.
What Happens When a Syllable Isn't stressed?
Stressed syllables are louder, longer, and more clear. Unstressed syllables are quieter, quicker, and less clear. The vowel sounds in stressed syllables get special attention when we speak them. The vowel sounds in unstressed can range from less distinct in unrecognizable. In fact, we have a specific term and symbol for some unstressed vowels. It's called the schwa, and it's the most spoken sound in English. You'll learn it in this step.
