2b.

ENGLISH STRESS AND RHYTHM, STRONG AND WEAK

FORMS

Stress

Stress = when a syllable is pronounced with more force than the rest of syllables. The stress
in English depends on many elements, in Czech the stress is always on the first syllable,
whereas in Polish on penultimate syllable (předposlední). Primary stress is marked by an
apostrophe ‘, secondary stress by comma ,.

English stress depends on:

1. Number of syllables
2. Word formation process
3. Part of speech
4. The neighbourhood where the word is situated.

English language prefers short words with maximum of 3 syllables since more is not typical
English. Long words are mostly formal (accommodate) and people in normal conversation
use phrasal verbs instead (put up). However, for foreign different longer words are easier to
remember so they use them even though it´s not natural for native speakers. The stress is on
the adverbial particle, though, beware words whose parts are prepositions since they have
stress on the verb (´look at).

Stressed syllables are prominent – are louder, longer and have a higher pitch.

Complex words stress (slova odvozená):

Stress carrying suffixes carry the stress (employee, Japanese, unique, picturesque,
entertainer)

Neutral suffixes do not change the stress (comfort – comfortable, wonder – wonderful)

Stress moving suffixes move the primary stress on the last syllable of the stem. (advantage -
advantageous, courage - courageous, climate - climatic, photograph - photography)

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Compound words

Words consisting of two or more lexical elements and have only one primary stress.

First element adjectival, stress on second element (loudspeaker, bad-tempered, first-class)

First element nominal, stress on first element (sunrise, tea-cup, suitcase)

black bird (bird that is of black colour) x blackbird (kos)

dancing shoes (shoes for dancing) x dancing shoes (those shoes dance LOL!)

Word class pairs

Stress on the second syllable if it is a verb, stress the first syllable if it is a noun or adjective.

N: export / V: ex’port

N: ´abstract (výtah) / V: to ab´stract (vytáhnout)

N: desert (poušť) / V: de´sert (dezertovat)

Adj. ‘absent / V: ab’sent

Rhythm

Speech rhythm = the arrangement of spoken words alternating stressed and unstressed
elements (weak and strong syllables). English is very rhythmic, stress-timed language where
the time period between stresses in syllables is approximately the same. Why is it possible?
Because English has weak forms that are pronounces only reducibly. On the other hand,
Czech is a syllabic-timed language when the stress is taking roughly the same amount of time.
(Máma má mísu.) Viz. poetry foot, metre.

Intonation

Intonation = the melody of speech. English unlike Czech has a more distinctive character
because we can hear frequent changes – they use the melody to express something. Every
tone has its function in distinctive situations and using it wrong can be confusing. Principle

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English tones apply to short words usually of single words and there are five different
intonation contours of tone.

Falling: yes (tone for a definite statement)

Rising: yes (Yes, why do you ask? for continuing conversation)

Fall-rise: yes (Intonation goes down and then up. I agree but not fully, only reserved yes.)

Rise-fall: yes/no (Intonation goes up and then down. I fully agree or disagree.)

Level: _yes (in routine situations it is not proper to emphasize melody)

Strong and weak forms

English rhythm is possible thanks to its weak forms. If we would pronounce all words
strongly or omitted articles, the time needed for pause would perish, breaking the rhythm.
Parts of speech that are pronounced weakly are articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary
verbs (primary and modal), that (as conjunction and relative pronouns in defining clauses, as
demonstrative pronouns it is a strong form), than (better than me, do not confuse with then)
and there (can function as dummy notional subject or adverbial as strong form: There is a
man over there.) Words carrying the meaning are strong forms! Weak forms are used in
connected speech.

He has a book. (strong form - has as primary verb) Tom has arrived at 5. (weak form - has as
auxiliary verb) Have you heard about it? (strong auxiliary have – initial position!)