Word stress and sentence stress
Why the right syllable matters more than the perfect vowel.
12 minutes · A free lesson from Pronunciation
English speakers recognise words largely by their stress pattern. Say deVELopment with the stress on the wrong syllable and a listener may not recognise it at all — even if every sound is right.
Words often stressed wrongly
Sentence stress falls on the words that carry meaning — usually nouns, main verbs, adjectives and negatives — while small words like a, to, of, and become short and quiet. This rhythm is what makes English sound natural: "I NEED to FINish this rePORT by FRIday."
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Where is the stress in “economy”?
- EC-o-no-my
- e-co-NO-my
- e-CON-o-my
Show the answer
C: e-CON-o-my — eCONomy, but ecoNOMic: the stress moves.
Quick check: Which words usually carry sentence stress?
- Nouns, main verbs, adjectives and negatives
- a, to, of and and
- Every word equally
Show the answer
A: Nouns, main verbs, adjectives and negatives — Small words become short and quiet. That rhythm is what makes English sound natural.
Quick check: Where is the stress in “hotel”?
- HO-tel
- ho-TEL
- On both syllables equally
Show the answer
B: ho-TEL — hoTEL: the second syllable.
Quick check: Why does word stress matter so much?
- It makes you sound British
- Listeners recognise words largely by their stress pattern
- It only matters in poetry
Show the answer
B: Listeners recognise words largely by their stress pattern — A word with the wrong stress may not be recognised, even if every sound is right.
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