ORAL EXPRESSION TECHNIQUES

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION
/ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃn/
Dr Yacine Benghebrid
Senior Lecturer A
University of Algiers 2
Conference Interpreter
Member of AIIC
Official Translator
Arabic – English – French
 Lesson 6
II. Stress
1. Stress Patterns in Words
(Part 1)
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

English is a stress-timed language

(having a regular rhythm)
in which there exists a distinction between
strong and weak syllables
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

A syllable is any of the units into which a word is divided

It contains a vowel sound
or a vowel sound + consonant(s)
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

The system for syllable division is generally a phonetic one

Most words have the same number of syllables in the
written form as in the pronunciation
However, there are a few rules to help divide words up into
syllables:
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

Each syllable has only one vowel sound

When a consonant separates two vowels, divide the word
after the first vowel and before the consonant:
stu-dent re-sult ex-a-mine
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

b) When the vowel is at the end of a syllable, it has a long

sound, called an open syllable :
may be-low an-ec-dote
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

c) When the vowel is not at the end of a syllable, it has a

short sound, called a closed syllable :
mad sub-ject con-vent
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

d) Syllables are divided between doubled consonants,

unless the doubled consonant is part of a syllable that is
base word:
din-ner swim-ming tell-er
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

e) Monosyllabic prefixes and suffixes are not divided:

il-le-gal un-com-mon
gov-ern-ment cou-ra-geous
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

f) Plurisyllabic prefixes and suffixes are divided:

an-ti-war un-der-take
vel-o-ci-ty hy-po-the-ti-cal
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

The strong or primary stress on one syllable has the effect

of weakening the pronunciation of the secondary stress
It is therefore important to be able to determine the stress
pattern of words
 Lesson 6
II. STRESS
1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)

Symbols used to indicate stress:

ˈ the following syllable has primary stress
ˌ the following syllable has secondary stress
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

1. Stress the syllable before -tion, -ssion :

organiˈzation instiˈtution poˈssession
nationaliˈzation revoˈlution suˈbmission
civiliˈzation revoˈlutionary perˈmission
interˈnational suppoˈsition deˈpression
introˈduction transˈmission aˈggression
proˈduction coˈmmission comˈpassion
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

2. Stress the syllable before –ic, ical :

optiˈmistic democratic poˈlitical
pessiˈmistic ecoˈnomic (but ˈpolitics)
scienˈtific fanˈtasctic psychoˈlogical
characteˈristic technoˈlogical geoˈgraphical
reaˈlistic bioˈlogical pharmaˈceutical
speˈcific ˈtechnical theoˈretical
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

3. Stress the syllable before –ety, -ity:

vaˈriety proˈpriety possiˈbility
soˈciety duˈbiety contiˈnuity
anxiety naivety ambiˈguity
soˈbriety techniˈcality caˈpacity
enˈtirety neˈcessity superiˈority
notoˈriety reˈality / aˈbility inferiˈority
 Lesson 6
II. 1.Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

4. Stress the syllable before -ient, -cient, -cience(y):

conˈvenient eˈfficient eˈfficiency
inconˈvenient ineˈfficient ineˈfficiency
perˈcipient suˈfficient suˈfficiency
reˈsilient insuˈfficient insuˈfficiency
expedient coeˈfficient experience
obedient proˈficient inexperience
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

5. Stress the syllable before -ious:

ˈconscious ˈobvious proˈpitious
unˈconscious ˈserious juˈdicious
reˈbellious consciˈentious preˈcarious
ˈprevious ˈstudious harˈmonious
imˈpervious noˈtortious vicˈtorious
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

6. Stress the syllable before -ian, -ial, -ialism:

ˈspecialized eˈssential imˈperialism
poliˈtician poˈtential inˈdustrialism
oˈfficial imˈpartial exiˈstentialism
ˈRussian dictaˈtorial maˈterialism
eˈspecially superˈficial ˈsocialism
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

7. Stress the syllable before -ual, -uate:

haˈbitual ˈusual ˈgradual
indiˈvidual eˈventual ˈgraduate
perˈpetual conˈceptual inteˈllectual
conˈtexual ˈsexual biˈsexual
eˈvacuate eˈvaluate perˈpetuate
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

8. Stress the syllable before -ible:

inˈcredible imˈpossible reˈsponsible
ˈsensible ˈhorrible perˈceptible
incomˈpatible ˈterrible ˈvisible
comˈpatible acˈcessible conˈvertible
ˈcredible ˈtangible ˈplausible
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

9. Stress the first syllable in the following words:

rationalize personalize jeopardize
generalize organize analyze
characterize nationalize capitalize
specialize realize formalize
scandalize liberalize criticize
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

10. And now for the words that give students the most difficulty:
iˈdea ecoˈnomic ˈindustry
deˈvelopment ecoˈnomical inˈdustrial
to deˈvelop the eˈconomy ˈinteresting
deˈmocracy ˈnecessary Aˈmerica
demoˈcratic neˈcessity ˌGreat ˈBritain
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

10. And now for the words that give students the most difficulty:
ˈprobable ˈcontroversy ˈEngland
ˈprobably controˈversial psyˈchiatrist
aˈdaptable ˈcomment psyˈchiatry
acˈceptable ˈcommentary psychoˈanalyst
ˈprofitable to sucˈceed psychoaˈnalysis
 Lesson 6
II. 1. Stress Patterns in Words (p.1)
General Rules

10. And now for the words that give students the most difficulty:
ˈfinal sucˈcess ˌpsychoˈanalyze
ˈfinally sucˈcessful caˈtastrophe
ˈEurope adˈvantage ˈcritic
Euroˈpean disadˈvantage ˈcriticism
eˈvent ˈgovernment ˈcriticize