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The InFluency Podcast

132. Who Moved My Word Stress?!?! ?

Jun 15, 2021
14:10
Snipd AI
Discover how the stress and rhythm in phrases may change based on their function in a sentence, explore the role of stress and intonation in conveying emphasis in English, and learn about the differences in stress patterns between singular and plural forms
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Quick takeaways

  • Understanding focus words and primary stress in phrases is crucial for mastering English intonation and conveying meaning accurately.
  • The stress in adjectives and noun phrases can shift when turning them into adjectives or expressing quantities, enhancing communication and conveying precise meaning in spoken English.

Deep dives

Understanding Focus Words and Primary Stress

In this podcast episode, the concept of focus words and primary stress in phrases is explored. A focus word is the most dominant word in a phrase that receives the main stress. Typically, focus words are content words such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. When phrases consist of adjectives and nouns, the stress usually falls on the noun in neutral intonation. However, if the phrase is comparing or contrasting two objects, the stress may shift to the adjective. Additionally, when a phrase is turned into an adjective by connecting multiple words with a hyphen, the stress shifts to the last content word. Overall, understanding focus words and primary stress is crucial for mastering English intonation and conveying meaning accurately.

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