Listening A2
Word Rhythm: Stressed Syllables
Lesson Goals
- Understand what "Word Stress" means.
- Hear the difference between 1st syllable and 2nd syllable stress.
- Pronounce common words with the correct rhythm.
In English, we do not say every part of a word with the same strength. One part (syllable) is always LOUDER, LONGER, and HIGHER. This is called Stress.
1. Pattern A: First Syllable (DA-da)
Most 2-syllable Nouns and Adjectives follow this pattern. The first part is strong.
- TA-ble
- HAP-py
- EAR-ly
- DOC-tor
2. Pattern B: Second Syllable (da-DA)
Most 2-syllable Verbs follow this pattern. The second part is strong.
- be-GIN
- re-LAX
- for-GET
- en-JOY
Why does this matter?
If you put the stress on the wrong syllable, native speakers might not understand you, or you might say a different word!
Example: PRE-sent (Noun: Gift) vs. pre-SENT (Verb: To show).
Practice Activity: Which Pattern?
Listen to the audio. Is the stress on the 1st (DA-da) or 2nd (da-DA) syllable?
- Apple (Pattern A / Pattern B)
- Decide (Pattern A / Pattern B)
- Student (Pattern A / Pattern B)
- Explain (Pattern A / Pattern B)
Vocabulary List
- Syllable (noun) /ˈsɪləbl/ [ព្យាង្គ] - A single unit of speech sound (e.g., "Cat" = 1, "App-le" = 2).
- Stress (noun) /strɛs/ [ការសង្កត់សំឡេង] - Emphasis given to a certain syllable.
- Rhythm (noun) /ˈrɪðəm/ [ចង្វាក់] - A strong, regular, repeated pattern of sound.
Your Mission 🎙️
Find 3 items in your house with 2 syllables (e.g., SO-fa, PA-per). Record yourself saying them with clear stress on the first part.