Stage 6 · Lesson 3 of 7
Word stress and intonation
English uses stress, saying one syllable louder and longer, to carry meaning. Say "deVELop" rather than "DEvelop", and "comPUter" rather than "COMputer". Many South Asian languages stress words differently, so this is one of the most useful things to practise.
Sentences have stress too: the important words are stronger and the small words are weaker. Intonation, the rise and fall of your voice, shows whether you are asking, finishing or listing. A good dictionary shows where the stress falls, and BBC Learning English has short videos on stress, linking and the sounds of English.
Common trappractising single sounds in isolation and never practising whole sentences.
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Resources for this stage
Start with
- PlatformFreeBBC Learning English
BBC
Free short lessons on pronunciation, stress and everyday English, with transcripts
Practise
Keep handy
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).