Listening: Basic Auditory Perception & Discrimination A2 - Lesson 2: Identifying Stressed Syllables in Common Two-Syllable Words

Understanding Syllable Stress CEFR Level A2 Lesson Goals In this lesson, you will learn how to hear and identify syllable stress —the "music" of English words—to improve your listening and pronunciation. What is Syllable Stress? In English, words with two or more parts ( syllables ) have a special "beat" or music. One syllable is always a little louder , longer , and higher in sound. This is the stressed syllable. Getting the stress right makes your English sound much more natural and easier for others to understand. Pattern 1: Stress on the FIRST Syllable (DA-da) Many common English words have stress on the first part. It sounds like DA -da. Listen to the audio for these examples: TEA -cher STU -dent HAP -py WA -ter MAR -ket AL -ways Pattern 2: Stress on the SECOND Syllable (da-DA) Other words have stress on the second part. It sounds like da- DA . Listen to these examples: ho- TEL to- DAY a- BOUT re- PLY de- CIDE a- GAIN Key Tip: A Simple Rule for Stress Here is a simple rule that is often true (but not al…