Lesson 6 of 6
Sentence Stress and Rhythm
Speak with the natural beat of American English instead of a flat, robotic pace.
Urdu and Hindi give most syllables roughly equal time. English is different. It stresses important words and squeezes the small words between them, which creates a rhythm like music. Learning this rhythm is the biggest step from "correct" English to natural English.
LearnThe key ideas
Content words vs function words
| Usually stressed (content) | Usually weak (function) |
|---|---|
| Nouns: coffee, meeting | Articles: a, an, the |
| Main verbs: need, call | Prepositions: to, for, at, of |
| Adjectives: busy, great | Pronouns: I, you, him, it |
| Adverbs and negatives: really, never, can't | Helping verbs: am, is, can, have |
The beat stays the same
Say "CATS EAT FISH", then "The CATS will have EATen the FISH". In natural speech both sentences take almost the same time, because the beat falls on the three content words and the small words get squeezed between them.
This is why "can" sounds like "kn" (I kn GO) but "can't" stays strong (I CAN'T GO). Listening for stress is how Americans tell them apart.
ListenListen and repeat
- I NEED to CALL my MOM.Stress the content words only.
- What do you WANT for DINner?"What do you" is quick and light.
- I can GO tomorrow."can" is weak: "kn".
- I CAN'T GO tomorrow."can't" is strong and clear.
AvoidCommon mistakes
SpeakShadowing practice
Press Listen, then repeat straight away, copying the speed, rhythm and tone. Say each sentence three times, then record yourself.
- I'm GOing to the STORE to get some MILK.
- Do you WANT to GRAB a COFfee after WORK?
- She CAN'T COME, but her BROther can.
CheckQuick quiz
1. Which words are usually stressed in a sentence?
2. In "I can swim", "can" is usually:
3. Speaking with equal stress on every word sounds:
PracticeToday's speaking task
Write 5 sentences about your day. Underline the content words, then read them aloud tapping the table only on the underlined words.