Word Stress Patterns
Lesson 2 of 9 in Advanced Canadian Pronunciation: Linking, Reductions & Rhythm · 25 minutes
Understand how word stress works in Canadian English, including stress shifts in word families (photograph, photographer, photographic) and the difference between compound nouns and two-word phrases. Learn how wrong stress can cause misunderstandings.
What you'll learn
- Identify the stressed syllable in common multi-syllable words
- Predict how stress moves in word families (photograph, photographer, photographic)
- Tell compound nouns from two-word phrases by their stress
From the lesson
Word Stress: The Key to Being Understood
In Canadian English, every multi-syllable word has one syllable that is spoken louder, longer, and at a higher pitch. This is called word stress, and getting it right is more important than pronouncing every individual sound perfectly.
Why does stress matter? If you say 'CAN-a-da' with stress on the first syllable, everyone understands. But if you say 'ca-NA-da' with stress on the second syllable, it sounds unnatural and confusing.
Common Stress Patterns:
1. Two-syllable NOUNS — stress is usually on the FIRST syllable: - RE-cord, PRO-ject, PRE-sent, OB-ject, CON-tract
2. Two-syllable VERBS — stress is usually on the SECOND syllable: - re-CORD, pro-JECT,…