Speaking: Pronunciation B1 - Lesson 3: Word Stress in Longer Words (3+ syllables)

Speaking: Pronunciation B1

Word Stress in Longer Words (3+ syllables)

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use common word endings (suffixes) to predict and pronounce the stress in longer English words correctly.

Decoding Stress with Word Endings 🔑

For longer words, the stress often follows predictable patterns based on the word's ending, called a suffix. Learning these patterns is like having a "secret code" to unlock English pronunciation.

Pattern 1: Suffixes -tion, -sion, -ic

Stress is on the syllable BEFORE the suffix.

inforMAtion, deciSIon, ecoNOmic

Pattern 2: Suffixes -ee, -eer, -ese

Stress is ON the suffix itself.

employEE, engiNEER, JapanESE

Pattern 3: Suffixes -ty, -phy, -gy, -al

Stress is on the syllable TWO BEFORE the suffix.

aBIlity, phoTOgraphy, biOlogy, CRItical

How it Works: Unstressed Syllables & Counting

🗣️ The Schwa Sound /ə/

Why is stress important? Because in English, unstressed syllables are weak and quick. The vowel sound in these weak syllables often becomes the "schwa" sound /ə/, which sounds like a soft "uh".

• Listen to "pho-TO-gra-phy". The stressed 'o' is clear. The other vowels are weak and sound like /ə/. (phə-TO-grə-phy)
• Listen to "in-for-MA-tion". It sounds like "in-fər-MA-tion".

Stressing the correct syllable and weakening the others is essential for natural-sounding English.

💡 How to Count Syllables from the End

To use these rules, you need to count syllables from the end of the word. Let's use a-BI-li-ty:

• The last syllable is -ty.
• The 2nd-to-last syllable is -li-.
• The 3rd-to-last syllable is -BI-.

The rule for the "-ty" suffix is to stress the 3rd-to-last syllable. So, the stress is on -BI-.

Practice the Patterns 🎯

Activity 1: Where's the Stress?

Based on the suffix rules, which syllable should be stressed? Say the word aloud.

1. politician (Rule 1: Stress on -TI-)
2. communication (Rule 1: Stress on -CA-)
3. Chinese (Rule 2: Stress on -NESE)
4. geography (Rule 3: Stress on -O-)
5. practical (Rule 3: Stress on -TI-)

Activity 2: Read the Sentences

Practice reading these sentences aloud. Pay close attention to the stress on the long words.

• The engiNEER gave a presenTAtion.
• The JapaNESE employEE had a great personAlity.

Key Vocabulary

• Suffix | បច្ច័យ
  A group of letters added to the end of a word (e.g., -tion, -eer, -al).
• Syllable | ព្យាង្គ
  A single unit of speech, usually with one vowel sound.
• Information | ព័ត៌មាន
  Facts or details about a subject.
• Ability | សមត្ថភាព
  The power or skill to do something.
• Engineer | វិស្វករ
  A person who designs and builds structures or machines.
• Photography | ការថតរូប
  The art and process of taking photographs.

Your Pronunciation Mission ⭐

This week, your mission is to be a word stress detective. Listen to English news or a podcast. When you hear a long word (3+ syllables), try to identify the stressed syllable. Write down two or three of the words. Do they follow the patterns you learned in this lesson?