Think back to early school days when you were perhaps learning longer vocabulary words and a teacher guided you in clapping out individual sounds within the word. Those individual sounds are called syllables. A syllable is a unit of spoken language with at least one vowel sound, and these units are the building blocks of words. The concept of syllables is straightforward, but mastering the art of stressing the correct syllables and how meanings of words can change based on their stressed syllables is where it can get tricky. This is true for native and non-native English speakers alike.
Except for in one-syllable words, there’s always a stressed syllable, or one that is pronounced higher or louder and with more emphasis than other syllables. Longer words may have a primary and secondary stress. This video shows some tips from a linguist on how to identify the primary stress in any word. Start by paying attention to the pitch of your voice when saying a word aloud. The stressed syllable will have a higher pitch and often takes longer to articulate. It’s louder and more drawn out, while the unstressed syllables are shorter and softer.
Consider, for example, the four syllables of the word “universal” (u-ni-ver-sal). Try saying “universal” a few times. Do you hear where the primary stress hits? It may be helpful to say the word in a sentence, since context is often important. Try the sentence, “This is a universal practice.” Practice the word with emphasis on different syllables (U-niversal, u-NI-versal, univer-SAL, uni-VER-sal). For a native speaker, it’s clear where the stress belongs. It’s the third syllable, “ver,” and the pronunciation with the correct emphasis is “u-ni-VER-sal.”
Non-native speakers may have a trickier time with emphasizing the correct syllables in the natural rhythm of English. Their original language might have a similarly spelled word that places an emphasis on a different syllable, or their accent might have a different intonation. It’s common for non-native English speakers to mispronounce words by placing the emphasis on a different syllable, but it’s not always a mistake to change pronunciation. It’s an accepted poetry technique to change the stress of syllables to create metered verse and adapt words to fit a certain rhythm.
When someone, either a native or non-native English speaker, is unclear about the proper emphasis or pronunciation of a word, the best resource is a dictionary. Along with the definition and word origin will be a pronunciation guide. Sometimes dictionaries use an accepted phonetic pronunciation guide, or their own version of a pronunciation guide. Any dictionary will have a section where it explains how to use its particular pronunciation guide. Syllables are usually defined by spaces in between each part, which makes it easier to sound out each particular syllable. Hyphens or another divider might be used, but the pronunciation guide will explain that. The guide will also designate how stresses are indicated, but the most common ways are through capitalized, bolded, or italicized text, or with a (‘) mark.
For example, the pronunciation of the word “universal” could be shown in a variety of ways, depending on the pronunciation guide: “u ni VER sal,” “u-ni-VER-sal,” or “u ni ‘ver sal.”
While it may seem like the emphasis placement in English words is random, there are a few guidelines.
In general, prefixes and suffixes are not stressed: RUNN-ing, WANT-ed, ir-REG-u-lar, ex-CEL.
In the case of homonyms (words that are spelled the same, but have different pronunciations), the part of speech changes the pronunciation. Verbs are usually stressed on the second syllable, and nouns and adjectives on the first. For example, the word “present” has a different stressed syllable when it is a noun versus a verb.
Tina brought a PRE-sent for the baby.
Tom is going to pre-SENT to the group.
It’s worth noting that syllable stresses vary across English-speaking dialects. While the above mentioned stresses are based on typical American English pronunciations, distinctions emerge in other countries or regions. Compare American and British English. With the word “advertisement,” Americans say “ad-ver-TISE-ment,” while British folks usually say “ad-VER-tise-ment,” with stress on different syllables.
Though both versions are understood, the pronunciation is distinct. For non-native speakers striving for fluency, it’s helpful to understand syllable stress in the country or area where you are speaking. This will help boost your ability to communicate and be understood by others.
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