PRONUNCIATION: WORD AND SENTENCE STRESS

Abstract

Generally you should stress the word that carries the key information or that helps to distinguish one thing from something else. This means that normally we stress adjectives rather than their nouns:

• I am a software developer.

You would only stress the noun if it is the noun that helps to differentiate between two things.

• I am a software developer not a software salesperson.

Stress verbs rather than pronouns:

• I want to show you.

Only stress the pronoun when you want to differentiate one group of things or people from another.

• I want to show you not them.

Stress the main verb rather than an affirmative auxiliary, unless you want to give special emphasis.

• This has happened several times.

• I can assure that this has happened several times.

Stress the negative auxiliary rather than main verb, unless you are distinguishing between two verbs.

• This hasn’t happened before.

• I haven’t spoken to him but I have seen him.