8/20/2019 Elemental English
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Many students think that learning English is about learning
grammar, consonants , vowels , and vocabulary . These form the
basic foundation of a language, however, if you want tobe
understood when speaking American English, and if you want to
understand native speakers, it isessential that you improve your
stress and rhythm .
StressStressing means that speakers of English make certain
syllables and words :• louder• longer• higher in pitchBasically,
stressing means to emphasize a sound . Every word in English has
just one syllablewith a primary stress or emphasis.However, it is
not only essential to stress certain syllables and words, but we
must also de-stress other syllables and words.De-stressing means
that speakers of English make certain syllables and words:
• more rela ed• weaker
Examples | Listen & Repeat• Engineer !" #en g$ NEER %
&'nd syllable is de(stressed) *rd syllable is stressed+•
English !" # ING glish% & st syllable is stressed) 'nd syllable
is slightly de(stressed+• -hotograph !" # PH d$ graf% & st
syllable is stressed, 'nd syllable de(stressed, *rd
syllable is secondary stress+!tressing and de-stressing
syllables and words gives us rhythm in English.
Rhythmhythm is the musicality of English!the ups and downs and
the connected speech and
the lin"ing o# words , which together, change how we say
sentences. Remember, speaking with correct rhythm (musicality) is
essential to being understood when you speak!
hythm comes from the combination of the two types o# stress in
/merican English:$% !yllable stress in words &as discussed
above+&% 'ord stress in sentences
Word stress in sentences/mericans stress words in sentences that
are important to the meaning of the sentence. 0hey
carry the content of the sentence. Basically, if you took these
content words out of thesentence, you would not understand the
meaning of that sentence .
Content Words• main verbs• nouns• adjectives• adverbs
http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/consonants/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/consonants/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/vowels/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/vowels/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/2-vocabulary/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/2-vocabulary/http://www.elementalenglish.com/de-stressed-function-words-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/connected-speech-linking-american-english-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/connected-speech-linking-american-english-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/connected-speech-linking-american-english-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/vowels/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/2-vocabulary/http://www.elementalenglish.com/de-stressed-function-words-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/connected-speech-linking-american-english-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/connected-speech-linking-american-english-pronunciation/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/consonants/
8/20/2019 Elemental English
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• negatives• wh(words• interjections
Examples | Listen & Repeat• 1 H/2E to 34 to S5H446.• 1 7/80
my B 40HE to 718.• 1t9s 840 the BES0 1 E/.
Function Wordsemember, rhythm and musicality in your speech is
not just about stressing, but also re;uires de-
stressing( wea"ening .1n English we de(stress the non(essential,
non(content words in a sentence, called the #unctionwords .0hese
function words are made wea"er , and sometimes practically
disappear from a
sentence.)unction words include*
• articles• conjunctions• prepositions• pronouns• au iliary
verbs
Listen and Repeat&, but 1 said =1 H/2E to 34 toS5H446>
#ay H/2 t9347 t9S?446%.1 said the function words +uic"er and more
rela,ed than the important content words. 0heyalmost become part of
the content words that follow them #t9347) t9S?446%.1f 1 left out
the non(essential function words from my sentences, you would still
understand thegeneral idea of what 19m saying.
Exampleso @H/2E 34 S5H446o @7/80 B 40HE 718o @840 BES0 1 E/
1n fact, we hear children speak like this all the time when
they9re learning to speak English, andwe still understand their
basic messages.
Listen and Repeat
http://www.elementalenglish.com/the-a-an-articles/http://www.elementalenglish.com/prepositions-an-overview/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/verbs/http://www.elementalenglish.com/the-a-an-articles/http://www.elementalenglish.com/prepositions-an-overview/http://www.elementalenglish.com/tag/verbs/
