This article explores the role of intonation or stress as a crucial aspect of proper accentuation in spoken English. It delves into related topics such as intonation and liaisons in spoken English.
There are four significant types of stress on words in English: fundamental stress inherent in the nature of English speech, and three other types of stress that convey additional information. These types include:
1. Fundamental stress of English speech
2. Emphasizing stress
3. Contrasting stress
4. Presenting new information stress
However, what happens when stressed statements are combined in longer expressions? In such cases, all stressed syllables still receive emphasis but to a lesser degree. The final stressed syllable carries the most tension, and mastering the stress of key syllables is crucial for achieving a natural and proper accent.
### Basic Stress
An intonation unit typically features one primary peak of stress, known as the core or essential stress. This primary stress, which applies to syllables, is attributed to the ‘key syllable’ and is prevalent in regular speech, discussions, statements, and reports. Core stress is frequently observed in content phrases at the end of statements. Consider the following examples, where the key syllable is underlined:
1. I’m going.
2. I’m heading to London.
3. I am heading to London for a holiday.
However, when combining stressed statements in longer expressions, all stressed syllables still receive emphasis but to a lesser extent. The final stressed syllable bears the most stress, emphasizing the importance of practicing the stress on key syllables for natural speech and proper accentuation.
Words with higher information content receive greater stress than those with less information or predictability in the context. Typically, one word is stressed more than others, indicating it possesses the highest information content in the sentence or phrase. These are known as ‘content’ words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. In contrast, ‘function’ words like articles, prepositions, conjunctions, etc., organize and support sentences without receiving significant stress.
“Content” words are generally stressed:
– Nouns (e.g., kitchen, Peter)
– Main verbs (e.g., go to, build)
– Adjectives (e.g., beautiful, interesting)
– Adverbs (e.g., often, carefully)
“Function” words are usually NOT stressed:
– Determiners (e.g., the, a)
– Auxiliary verbs (e.g., am, have been)
– Prepositions (e.g., before, of)
– Conjunctions (e.g., but, and)
– Pronouns (e.g., they, she)
Understanding these stress types and the words that carry them forms the basis for effective practice. Practice sentences will be provided to reinforce these concepts.
### Example and Practice
The crucial role of content words is illustrated in the following example. Read the sentences aloud, timing how long each takes to read:
1. He needs to practice long and hard to win the big race.
– (How long did it take to read? ______ seconds.)
– (How many syllables does it have? ________)
2. She can arrive as long as she does not cause any family problems.
– (How long did it take to read? ______ seconds.)
– (How many syllables does it have? ________)
Note that the first sentence takes about the same or even less time to speak well, despite the second sentence having more syllables. This indicates that there are fewer stressed words in the second sentence.
It is observed that important words in English are stressed, making them longer to say. This distinguishes English pronunciation from some other languages where each syllable may have equal importance. English pronunciation focuses on specific stressed words, swiftly gliding over non-stressed words.
To practice, underline the stressed words in sentences, then read aloud, focusing on stressing the underlined words while smoothly gliding over the non-stressed words. This exercise can significantly enhance pronunciation by highlighting the muted nature of non-stressed words and syllables. Listen to native speakers, paying attention to how they stress specific words, and aim to replicate this pattern for improved spoken English.