Understanding Stress
* Stress in pronunciation refers to the emphasis placed on a syllable within a word.
* Primary stress is the strongest emphasis, making the syllable louder and longer. It's marked with a raised symbol (ˈ) before the stressed syllable.
* Secondary stress is a weaker emphasis, less pronounced than primary stress. It's marked with a low symbol (ˌ) before the stressed syllable.
Tips for Identifying Stress
1. Practice and Familiarity: The best way to learn stress is through practice and exposure to the language. Listen carefully to native speakers and try to mimic their pronunciation.
2. Dictionaries: Most dictionaries indicate primary stress with a symbol (ˈ) before the stressed syllable. Some may also indicate secondary stress.
3. General Rules: There are some general rules that can help guide you, but remember that exceptions exist:
* Two-Syllable Words: Stress typically falls on the first syllable (e.g., "ˈhappy," "ˈtable").
* Three-Syllable Words: Stress often falls on the first syllable (e.g., "ˈcamera," "ˈmanage"). However, there are exceptions.
* Four-Syllable Words: Stress often falls on the second syllable (e.g., "reˈmember," "ˈdifficult").
* Suffixes: Some suffixes can influence stress placement. For example, "-tion" and "-sion" often attract stress to the preceding syllable (e.g., "ˈinformation").
4. Word Roots: The root of the word can also influence stress. For example, in words like "reˈmember," the root "member" typically has the primary stress.
5. Compound Words: Stress often falls on the first part of a compound word (e.g., "ˈgreenhouse," "ˈblackboard").
6. Intonation: Pay attention to how the intonation changes in a sentence. Stressed syllables are often louder and longer than unstressed syllables.
Examples:
* "photography" - Primary stress on the first syllable (ˈpho-to-gra-phy).
* "ˌinformation" - Primary stress on the second syllable (ˌin-for-ma-tion).
* "ˈdifficult" - Primary stress on the first syllable (ˈdif-fi-cult).
* "ˌunderstand" - Primary stress on the second syllable (ˌun-der-stand).
Important Notes:
* Stress can vary between dialects.
* There are many exceptions to the rules, making it essential to practice and learn the stress patterns of individual words.
Let me know if you have any specific words in mind! I can help you figure out their stress patterns.