3.4. Stress in English

Apuntes

• Subtopic: Stress in English This section explains how emphasis is placed on certain syllables in English words and phrases. - **Stress**: When speaking, some syllables are more noticeable than others; this is stress. **Prominence** is what makes a syllable stand out, and it's achieved through loudness, quantity (length), pitch, and quality (the type of vowel sound). ○ There are different **levels of stress**: unstressed (no emphasis), primary stress (the main emphasis), and secondary stress (some emphasis, but less than primary). For example, in "anthropology" /ˌænθrəˈpɒlədʒi/, the third syllable has primary stress, the first has secondary stress, and the others are unstressed. - **Syllable Structure**: Syllables can be **strong** or **weak**. ○ **Weak syllables** are typically shorter and less loud. They can only contain certain vowel sounds (ə, i, u, ɚ) or a syllabic consonant. ■ They often appear at the end of words or within words without a consonant at the end (no coda), although some weak syllables can have a coda, especially if the vowel is /ə/. ● Following possibilities for weak syllables: ○ Word-final /ə/, /i/, and /u/ as in "doctor," "happ...