Practice Word Stress
English is a stress-timed language: one syllable in each word is said longer, louder and higher, and the rest shrink. Get the stress right and your English instantly sounds more natural — even if every sound is not perfect.
How English word stress works
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1
Find the strong syllable
Every English word of two or more syllables has one main stress. In "banana" it is the middle: ba-NA-na.
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2
Make it longer and louder
Stretch the stressed syllable, say it a little louder, and lift the pitch on it.
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3
Shrink the rest
Unstressed syllables get short and weak — their vowel often becomes the quick schwa /ə/.
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4
Watch the stress move
Stress can shift when a word changes form: PHO-to-graph but pho-TOG-ra-pher. The rhythm changes the whole word.
The common mistake learners make
If your first language is syllable-timed, you may give every syllable equal length and weight, so words sound flat and even.
If your first language is syllable-timed, each syllable takes roughly the same time and weight. There is no "weak" syllable to compress, so the stress contrast of English does not come naturally.
Deliberately make one syllable big and let the others go small and quick. Over-exaggerate at first: clap on the stressed syllable while you say the word.
Practice words
Tap a word to hear it, then say it back out loud. Repeat each one a few times.
Stress on the FIRST syllable
Stress on the SECOND syllable
Stress on the THIRD syllable
Same word, stress moves
Practice sentences
Each sentence is loaded with the target sound. Listen, then read it aloud slowly.
The engineer gave an important presentation this afternoon.
I cannot remember which computer my customer recommended.
It is difficult to understand the photographer's decision.
They agreed to introduce the volunteer to the business team.
Keep practicing
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