Word stress
11 phrasesHD
a present to present
JA贈り物／提示する
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
Same letters, two words. Stress the first syllable — PREsent — and it is the gift; stress the second — preSENT — and it is the act. The unstressed vowel goes weak: the e you don't stress slides toward a schwa.
HD
a rebel to rebel
JA反逆者／反抗する
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
HD
a contrast to contrast
JA対比／対比する
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
HD
a suspect to suspect
JA容疑者／疑う
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
HD
a protest to protest
JA抗議／抗議する
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
HD
family camera animal
JA家族／カメラ／動物
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
The beat lands on the first syllable and everything after it caves in to schwa: FAM-uh-lee, CAM-ruh, AN-uh-mul. Do not give the later syllables their full spelled-out vowels.
HD
important develop delicious
JA重要な／発展させる／おいしい
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
HD
engineer understand afternoon
JA技師／理解する／午後
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
Some words save the beat for last: engiNEER, underSTAND, afterNOON. The earlier syllables run light and quick toward it — do not spread the weight evenly.
HD
photograph photographer
JA写真／写真家
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
The same root, but the beat jumps when the ending changes: PHOtograph, phoTOGrapher. As it jumps, the vowels rearrange — the strong one becomes a schwa and a sleeping one wakes up.
HD
economy economic
JA経済／経済の
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
HD
banana umbrella tomato
JAバナナ／傘／トマト
Every English word has one syllable louder than the rest, and the others shrink around it — often all the way down to a schwa. Put the beat in the wrong place and the word can vanish even when every sound is right. In a few dozen words the beat alone decides the meaning: a REbel is a person, to reBEL is what they do.
Word stress in English - 11 phrases you can play on a loop until they stick. Each one shows the characters, the reading and the meaning in six languages.