Welcome!

PRONUNCIATION
WORKSHOPS

SESSION TWO:
STRESS & RHYTHM

ROSALÍA VARGAS
Británico Teacher
1 2 3 4

1 and 2 and 3 and 4

1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4

1 and then a 2 and then a 3 and then a 4

Syllables & Words
 Hi!
I’m Rosalía!
How many syllables?
Ro-sa-lí-a
WHAT’S A SYLLABLE?

All words have syllables.

A word might have one, two, or even more syllables.

Ro-sa-lí-a
A unit of consonant and vowel sounds
said at a single effort of the voice.

A vowel sound is the HEART of the syllable.

TO FEEL A SYLLABLE

Say a word and count

• the ‘beats’ in the word

• how many times you open and close your mouth
as you say it
• how many times your chin drops
HOW MANY SYLLABLES?

blue

cat

time

person
Counting syllables is a good _ _ _ _ .
 idea
How many syllables?

Where’s the STRESS?

idea
Word Stress
 WHAT’S STRESS?

Stress is GIVEN to a a particular syllable

using more ENERGY.

It is:

l o n g e r (in duration)
LOUDER! (greater lung pressure)
HIGHER (in pitch)
Idea
In most dictionaries, the stressed syllable is shown
by a stress mark ( ˈ )

It goes before the syllable that is stressed.

/aɪ ˈdɪ ə/
youglish.com
forvo.com
HOW MANY SYLLABLES?

blue

cat

time

person
STRONG AND WEAK

blue

cat

time

person
 Strong & Weak
Syllables→Patterns
WEAK SYLLABLES OFTEN HAVE A /ə/ SOUND

about

taken

pencil

ribbon

supply

perhaps
WEAK SYLLABLES OFTEN HAVE A /ə/ SOUND

aBOUT

TAKen

PENcil

RIBbon

supPLY

perHAPS
WEAK SYLLABLES OFTEN HAVE A /ə/ SOUND

family

family
 HOW MANY SYLLABLES?

• chocolate • several

• vegetable • strawberry

• different • temperature

• restaurant • favourite
 HOW MANY SYLLABLES?

• CHOColate • SEVeral

• VEGetable • STRAWberry

• DIFFerent • TEMPerature

• RESTaurant • FAVourite
SILLY SYLLABLES

DAH

DOO-by

DIP-e-ty
STRONG AND WEAK

blue

summer
DOO-by
luh-DAH

hotel
July
receipt
surprise
advice
dessert
design
CAN YOU CREATE PATTERNS FOR THESE WORDS?

WHICH WERE MOST DIFFICULT TO PRONOUNCE?

Sentence Stress
 WHICH DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

The roads are wet.

roads wet

the are
 BASIC TYPES OF WORDS

content words
words that carry the meaning or sense

function words
words which are only needed for grammar, not
meaning.
 WHAT TO STRESS?

content words
are STRESSED

function words
are unstressed
 CONTENT WORDS (STRESSED)

-MAIN VERBS -sell, give

-NOUNS -Mary, banana

-ADJECTIVES -red, fabulous

-ADVERBS -quickly, never

-NEGATIVE AUXILIARIES -aren’t, can’t, don’t

 FUNCTION WORDS (UNSTRESSED)

-PREPOSITIONS to, for

-ARTICLES the, an

-CONJUNCTIONS and, or

-PRONOUNS you, her

-VERB BE is, are, was

-AUXILIARY VERBS do, can

 WHICH DO YOU STRESS?

luh-DAH-luh-DAH

The roads are wet.

I always run.

Her pet’s a cat.

They dropped the ball.

SCAT SYLLABLES

DAH

DOO-by

DIP-e-ty
46
Fresh fried chips.

Lots of cheese and pizza.

Plenty of carrots and sausages.

SCAT SYLLABLES

DAH

DOO-by

DIP-e-ty
One cold beer.
Don’t eat salt.

Half a glass of whiskey.

Go and bring some sugar.

Give him a bottle of orange juice.

Hurry and get me the broccoli.
Contractions
ONLY ROBOTS DO’NT USE CONTRACTIONS!
CONTRACTIONS = REDUCED FORMS

In a contraction, two words are combined

to form one shorter word

To contract means to make smaller

I am 2 syllables

I’m 1 syllable

53
CONTRACTIONS LOOK AND SOUND SHORTER

I’m your father.

I am your father.

They mean the same, but sound different.

PRONOUNCING CONTRACTIONS

https://wordwall.net/resource/33219602
CONTRACTIONS LOOK AND SOUND SHORTER

We’re here.

You’re my best friend.

I’ll leave the isle.

My aunts aren’t Peruvian.

DAH-buh-DAH
DON’T SPEAK LIKE A ROBOT
The of Rhythm
WITH LIMERICKS!
 LIMERICK

There once were two cats of Kilkenny,

Each thought there was one cat too many,
So, they started to fight,
And to scratch and to bite,
Now, instead of two cats, there aren't any.
 KEEP THE BEAT!

There ONCE WERE TWO CATS OF KILKENNY,

EACH THOUGHT THERE WAS ONE CAT TOO MANY,
SO, THEY STARTED TO FIGHT,
AND TO SCRATCH AND TO BITE,
NOW, INSTEAD OF TWO CATS, THERE AREN'T ANY.
 KEEP THE BEAT!

There once were two cats of Kilkenny,

Each thought there was one cat too many,
So, they started to fight,
And to scratch and to bite,
Now, instead of two cats, there aren't any.
 KEEP THE BEAT!

Theə once were two cats əf Kəlkenny,

Each thought thə wəs one cat too many,
So, thə started tə fight,
ənd tə scratch ənd tə bite,

Now, instead əf two cats, theər aren't any.

Thank you!

See you next

Saturday!

rvargasb@britanico.edu.pe