One of the most significant features of spoken English is its use of syllable stress. Syllable stress patterns create a speech rhythm that native English speakers use to identify words and make meaning.
Here is a true story that illustrates why stressing syllables correctly is so important.
Last August I was having lunch at a restaurant in Orlando, Florida. Seated at the table across from me were two Indian gentlemen. They were talking about the BP oil spill.
When speaking, the men were putting the stress on the B in BP instead of on the P as we do in spoken English. This pronunciation made the abbreviation BP sound like the word beepy meaning to make noise. I found myself thinking, “The beepy oil spill, why is it beeping?
They should have placed the stress on the P, not the B. That would have made it immediately clear that they were talking about British Petroleum or BP. Of course I figured it out, but there was a momentary breakdown in communication.
This is just one example of the way that native English speakers rely on hearing the correct syllable stress in words in order to understand what is being said.
In my experience working with south Asian language speakers, stressing syllables correctly in English is often an area of great difficulty. When speaking they typically stress each syllable equally, or they stress the first syllable of a word as in the BP example above. This creates speech patterns that are extremely difficult for native English speakers to understand!
Here is one syllable stress pattern that English speakers use all the time.
When saying abbreviations we stress the final letter or syllable. Our intonation falls slightly on the final sound. Examples include:
ATM
USA
MIT
GPS
CD
GMT
We say BP, not BP.
Teachers of English should always make sure to teach the correct syllable stress patterns when they introduce new vocabulary to their students.
There are many syllable stress rules and patterns that native English speakers use. Failing to use these patterns correctly creates misunderstandings and breakdowns in oral communication.
In my next article I will present some of the most common syllable stress patterns in spoken English.
Susan Ryan is an American English pronunciation teacher and accent reduction coach. She currently lives in South Florida. Read more articles by Susan at http://www.confidentvoice.com/blog/
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