Week 4

STRESS AND INTONATION

• Stress and unstressed syllables
• Rising and falling intonation

Stress and Unstressed Syllables

When you say the word [NOSTRIL], you pronounce the [NOS] slightly louder, at a slightly higher pitch, and for a slightly longer duration than when you pronounce the [tril]. The first syllable [NOS] is STRESSED, and the second syllable [tril] is UNstressed.

A great word for illustrating the difference between STRESSED and UNstressed syllables is the word [PRESENT].  The word [PRESENT] is really two different words depending on which syllable you stress.  If you stress the first syllable, you get the word that means a gift.  But if you stress the second syllable, you get a word that is the root word for presentation.

Rising and Falling Intonation

Rising intonations

Rising intonation is used in general questions, in introductory phrases (at the beginning of the sentence), in the first part of alternative questions (before "or"), in the second part of tag questions (see explanation below), in direct address, and in enumerating items in a list

Do you go there /OFten?

If he /CALLS, ask him to \COME

Would you like an /APple or a \PEAR?

Falling intonations

Standard unemphatic falling intonation is the most common type of intonation in English. It is used in statements (declarative sentences), special questions, commands (imperative sentences), exclamatory sentences, in the first part of disjunctive questions and in the last part of alternative questions

We live in \MOScow

Where do you \LIVE?

Where do you \LIVE?