Speaking: Pronunciation A2 - Lesson 5
Basic Sentence Rhythm
By the end of this lesson, you will understand how to use sentence rhythm by stressing content words and un-stressing function words to sound more natural and fluent.
The Music of English Sentences
English sentences have a "beat" or a rhythm, like music. We don't say every word with the same power. Some words are stressed (strong and loud) and some are unstressed (weak and quiet). Understanding this is a key to fluency.
The secret is to know the difference between Content Words2 and Function Words3.
| Word Type | Their Job | Examples | Stressed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content Words | Carry the main meaning (important information) | Nouns (cat, house), Main Verbs (eat, study), Adjectives (big, happy), Adverbs (slowly) | YES (strong) |
| Function Words | Small grammar words that connect the sentence | Articles (a, the), Prepositions (in, at, to), Pronouns (he, she, it), Auxiliary Verbs (is, am, can) | NO (weak) |
Look at this sentence. The rhythm comes from stressing only the content words: "My TEA-cher LIVES in a BIG HOUSE."
Vocabulary Glossary
- Sentence Rhythm (Noun) | ចង្វាក់នៃប្រយោគ | The "beat" or "music" of a sentence, created by stressing some words more than others. ↩
- Content Word (Noun) | ពាក្យគន្លឹះ | An important word that carries meaning (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs). These words are usually stressed. ↩
- Function Word (Noun) | ពាក្យវេយ្យាករណ៍ | A small grammar word that connects content words (articles, prepositions, pronouns). These words are usually unstressed. ↩
Pronunciation Focus: Reducing Function Words
To keep a regular beat, native speakers "reduce" or "squash" the function words. They become very short and quiet.
Listen to these common reductions:
- The word "to" often sounds like "tə". (e.g., I need tə go.)
- The word "a" often sounds like "ə" (a quick "uh" sound). (e.g., I bought ə book.)
- The word "can" often sounds like "kən". (e.g., I kən help you.)
The audio guide will use these reduced sounds. This is a very important part of sounding fluent.
Hearing the Beat
Let's mark the beat of a sentence. "DUM" is a strong, stressed beat. "da" is a weak, unstressed beat.
Sentence: "He wants to buy a new phone."
Content Words (Stressed): He, wants, buy, new, phone. (Note: Pronouns like "He" can be stressed at the start of a sentence).
Function Words (Unstressed): to, a.
The Rhythm: DUM DUM da DUM da DUM DUM.
Listen to the audio guide say this sentence. Can you hear the beat?
Practice the Rhythm
Activity 1: Find the Content Words
Read the sentences below. Which words are the content words that should be stressed?
- She is a teacher at a good school. (Content words: She, teacher, good, school)
- I want to drink a cup of coffee. (Content words: I, want, drink, cup, coffee)
- My friend bought a very expensive moto. (Content words: My, friend, bought, very, expensive, moto)
Activity 2: Clap the Rhythm
Read these sentences aloud. Clap your hands ONLY on the stressed content words. This will help you feel the rhythm.
- I LIKE your NEW SHIRT. (clap, clap, clap)
- We WANT to GO to the MAR-ket. (clap, clap, clap)
Your Pronunciation Mission
This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to listen for the music of English.
Find a short English song that you like. Close your eyes and just listen to the rhythm. Tap your hand or your foot on the main beats (the stressed words). You don't need to understand every word; just feel the rhythm. This is excellent practice for your ear.