Stress and Rhythm in English Pronunciation

Many students think that learning English is about learning grammar, consonants, vowels, and vocabulary. These form the basic foundation of a language, however, if you want to be understood when speaking American English, and if you want to understand native speakers, it is essential that you improve your stress and rhythm.
Original lesson post here: www.elementalen...
Free iTunes podcast: itunes.apple.c...

[@SALESENGLISH2020]

Two things: 1) your video is the fastest course on syllabic stress 2) Your voice is very clear and pleasant (and not nasal at all). I am surprised you got only 178k hits, whereas trash courses get millions. This lesson is worth $1000.

[@elementalenglish]

+SALESENGLISH2020 so nice! Thank you!

[@dwarf2217]

I used to wonder why I speak so strangely even though I can pronoun every single word perfectly. That's the reason of STRESS and RHYTHM. This lesson is really informative.

[@elizabethpimenta712]

A very efficient short course given by someone with a very clear voice. Loved it.

[@hamidahmed6244]

Thanks every teacher who participated in these teaching videos

[@favicortez9313]

You’re a fantastic teacher! Your explanations and visuals for the videos are super clear and concise. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[@FitahTech]

Her teachings are an A game

[@LaVFdeJL]

Great video, and as a French teacher of English I might use it in class. :) In french it is natural NOT to stress a syllable unless it is at the end of a group of words, so it's completely different and counter-intuitive for French students, and all the more difficult to get it right. One thing you didn't mention in this video is how stressed syllables in English are pronounced regularly, like a rhythm box, REGARDLESS of how many de-stressed syllables are in between, be it one, three... or none! Which means that depending on whether there are more or less de-stressed syllables in a row, you will pronounce them more or less quickly! As native speakers you probably take this phonological phenomenon for granted, but it takes years to get it right for us French people, since we don't have that in our language. Germans, for instance, do, so it's easier for them. But for us it's like learning how to play the drums or dance the salsa: you need a good sense of rhythm and a lot of practice! But first you need to know that rule. Say, in the sentence from the video "We'll CHOOSE the WINner on SATurday or SUNday", there is only one de-stressed syllable between CHOOSE and WIN, but three between SAT and SUN. And yet the stressed syllables are spoken on a regular beat, so to speak. "CHOOSE, WIN, SAT, SUN". " Boom, boom, boom, boom". So the syllable "the" takes as long as the syllables "-turday or" to be spoken. So you speak a bit faster saying "-turday or" than just sayin "the". This is something valuable to learn. Students who are made aware of that usually improve their pronunciation significantly. But knowing is not enough of course. Practice is key. Just my two cents, sorry for the long comment! :)

[@bryamsuyo2892]

" Clarity " that's what all these sort of videos need , thanks for your enjoyable lessons :D !

[@anasfair]

For sure it's gonna help my students a lot here in Brazil. Very nice of you sharing this class. Thanks!

[@elementalenglish]

Happy to help! :)

[@gingerguo947]

The video clip is amazing. I'm Chinese. Most Chinese English language learners don't realize that the biggest problem we're facing is rhythm. Since Chinese is very flat and is totally different with English rhythm. We don't have stressed/unstressed, linking, reduction this kind of concepts in our own language. All in all, this kind of videos are extremely useful. Thanks!!!

[@elementalenglish]

+Ginger Guo my pleasure :)

[@SOyuncastor2]

thank you so much for the comment on the relaxed section: specifically the "to" "and" "but"... as a non native speaker this is almost never mentioned on books and after so many years it was a real-eye-opening tip

[@chayandas2820]

Maam, That way you tried to make us understand how weak forms move with content words, it was awesome and truely helpful and unique. No one cleared it in their videos. Thanks a lot. Hope in future, you'll make a detail video about it.

[@ITV-ITV-]

I found your channel to be very professional, not at last because of how you put most important things first. I have studied and practiced english as my second language at school and at high school for like 10 years period. But then I had almost no speech and now I merely remember verb tences and other language rules. What I have is only speech patterns to use from my previous knowledge bagage. With all that said, It is pleasure to learn basics again with your kind help hrer on youtube! Thank you!

[@sergiodecastrobelem5318]

Your video lessons are always helpful. I've been learning a lot from them. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Cheers from Brasil.

[@kellykade]

I'm currently learning Japanese right now and there's this one KZbin or doing such a great job talking about Japanese stress words. Which made me wonder if we had stress words in English and I told myself I'm pretty sure we do and here I am at this video.

[@cheikhdiop4082]

That's cleary explained. Very helpful to learners of English. Thanks!

[@mustafaawd9572]

After 10 years and im still watching your videos Thank you so much🙏

very good instruction, concise and clear, easy to follow - this is a mark of a gifted teacher

[@mature111ster]

I've spoken English all my life, but never learned where the stresses fell. Thank you, your video really helped me out!

[@maifunanmai3018]

thanks elementalenglish youre so good at explaining a rule about stress and while i was in my university pronuncing classes my teachers is not as good as you in taeching this thanks and i really appreciate that you compare english rhythm to music so romatic

[@elementalenglish]

Thanks :)

[@didienafandi8735]

With this very short video, I understand the prosodic features in pronunciation. Thanks

[@kf9as]

One suggestion. It would be helpful in a later edition to include a few example of how stresses can change the meaning of a sentence in American English. For example, 'I WANT my BROther to Win' means something different than saying it as 'I want MY BROther to Win'. The second example implies that 'I want MY brother to win, not yours.', while very strong stress on the word 'brother' could carry the message, 'I want my brother to win, not my sister'. Stresses can carry different messages and emotion depending on where they are placed, as you know, and perhaps a bit more 'emphasis' on this would be even more helpful in explaining context. Just my two cents... just MY two cents... just my TWO cents... just my two CENTS... ha ha! :)

[@elementalenglish]

Haha thanks for YOUR two cents! :) I actually did a video called "Emphasis in English" which gives an example similar to yours. Give it a try!

[@kf9as]

***** Thanks! I'll check it out. :)

[@sharaline9160]

kf9as Nice suggestion! Now I could understand what you suggested and how important the stress in a sentence is. What a sufficient explanation! Thanks!

[@saariundsaari1986]

I am not exactly sure, but what you mean belongs to intonation, doesn't it?

[@jasonbolster3259]

saariundsaari1986 You can stress almost every word in the sentence "I didn't say she was stupid" and make it mean something totally different. Stress the first word if someone else said it. Stress "didn't" if you're adamantly denying saying it. Stress "say" if you implied it but didn't say it." Stress "she" if you said someone else was stupid. Stress "stupid" if you said she made one mistake.

[@jesus-eh7mr]

hi, im beginnig to see your videos and they´re helping me to undertand better the pronunciation, Im mexican and I know a lot of grammar (that's what i thing, lol) but speaking i got lot a mistakes becouse i don't practise it and your videos help me more than the school. Thanks for that!

[@Playsyndrome101]

I still don't understand what exactly stress is...

[@anna3amal]

i really needed like it, please up load more videos for native speaker that'd be great

[@elementalenglish]

Amal, I'm going to upload a lot more videos in 2014! Let me know if you have any questions about them :)

[@dylanx9327]

...this is a great video...I love how you clustered function words with content words into groups for better sense of identifying the rhythm and then capitalized and colored the stressed syllable...6:09.... You should make more such videos...Identifying what function words cluster with what content word is so important ... and so necessary for getting the sense of the rhythm in the sentence...this is even more important for the sustaining the rhythm then just focusing on stressing the main content word in the sentence...content word is like a chicken that takes near by function words under its wings...

[@TimeFlyingBy1884]

4:56 Function words are said more quicker and relaxed. They almost become part of the content words that follow them.

[@moisesdavila2211]

I liked it. Thank you ElementalEnglish!

[@Treacherries]

Our teacher show this to us and intonation

[@khalidabarekzai9268]

thank you so much you explain very well

[@user-de4ii5oy1s]

Blessings and thanks for this view

[@RogerCruzeiroEterno]

As Brazilian I can tell you this stresses don't exist in Portuguese language. and they're very hard. first of all I must thank you for your efforts to help us. but I can't understand something that doesn't exist in my native language so easily. may you rephrase it in a simpler WA on another video? please

[@estebannemo1957]

Bart Simpson I think Brazilian Portuguese is a syllable timed language. That’s to say, the words is a sentence usually take the same stress.

[@owner44]

it's very helpful for me.if speed of speaking become faster ,we can only hear the stress pronunciation.

[@ginny23lee]

great!!! this is what is just needed ... thanks!!!!

[@MrAutoctono90]

But in British English it is correct to say " I have to go to school" different pronunciation in American English and British. I teach my students to pronounce in both ways American and English in order to avoid confusion. I always tell them in American English this word is pronounced in this way and in British is in that way.

[@solangeirigoin7525]

I loved your video is very clear. But you should use a pronunciation dictionary to transcrive words such as photograph where you used the wrong phonems. Xoxo

[@marianelamoyano3491]

Great knowledge. God bless you.

[@SparkySywer]

Your way of showing pronunciation with text is humorous.

[@nic_w6127]

it is quite useful and clear about the Stress and Rhythm in English Pronunciation,thanks

[@sunday8386]

I miss your lessons.

[@elementalenglish]

+Sunday Thanks :) my baby is due next month, so it will be a while until I can return to teaching. I can't wait to get back to it!

[@humbertomontenegro2468]

Me too, please return with your lessons!!!

[@mcqupp744]

I'm not

[@espanol4122]

Thank you, very useful for my students.

[@GlynWilliams1950]

Very clear and concise. I will pass it on to my Thai students learning English.

[@musataphaalami7089]

thanks for all the clarifications .I have found your lessons very useful

[@luqmannurkarim7178]

I'm newbie. This video is very benefit...

[@mariainesnamba6561]

very good, easier to comprehend, thank you!

[@InviernoAustral]

Excellent resource, as usual: thanks! In my experience, most ELT materials refer to intonation as "sentence stress", and what you refer to as "syllable stress" as "word stress"

[@douglasmarinho3653]

It was very helpful thank you so much for this video

[@maxhou8395]

Thank your video, it's very useful to me

[@elenavanbc]

EXCELLENT, THANKS!

[@soccerdreamer2077]

elementalenglish, please, could you helpme with any about fricative, swa, elision unvoiced cononants..etc pleaseee

[@sarwarkhan-dn3io]

It's very interesting to pronounce words in rhythm and it urges us to apply it in day to day formal talk Thanks a lot Sarwar khan

[@PlinioJJunior]

It's was awesome! Do you have any other video about stress and rhythm? It's my biggest difficult learning English. Thank you so much!

[@adrianatorres4150]

Excellent! your video is very helpfull. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@nhitranphanphuong2152]

Useful lesson with good examples, and great voice too. Thanks!

[@williampece89]

Great video!!! Thanks!!!

[@shubhrantkhare9439]

it was very helpful, I got clarity what stress is for first time. Thank you.

[@nightmoonlight80]

it is very helpfull for me, i am good at pronuciation words now, but i can't pratice rhythm and wordstress now, still need to practise more.

[@jimmyr4829]

I really though my speaking was good, but now i fell 200% better

[@Pilig57]

A very useful video for my students. They loved your pronunciation!

[@bluesea_11]

Thank you for replying ,but another question plz is : in a sentence like " I have to go" .. When you say "Hafta" you mean you put the stress on "Have to" and when you say "to go" as one word "togo" you put the stress on "To go" ?? Am I right ??

[@ambarpatriciabernalzambran9533]

Well... I liked this more than my actual class.

[@trungtrucle3207]

How about two or more sentences continuously? I really don't understand clearly the rule of Rhythm. Anyway, it's extremly helpful. Would you recommend some book to understand rhythm profoundly? Thanks.

[@arlizpaelmo2311]

Love your video! Thank you very much!

[@valeriemason9615]

This is an excellent video! Great summary!!!

[@Hpandya51]

Very useful!! Thank you

[@user-nv1ur2iw9q]

Function words are not only de-stressed but also reduced.

[@odbilegjp]

3:15 practice

[@DawnPeacock]

Have you been practicing? This channel has exceptional content for learning the basics of stress, rhythm and intonation in English...and it gives you a good start for practicing as well.

[@RamzyElias]

Hello. thank you very much and i'm happy because you start making videos again. this video very useful and i hope more videos (Stress and Rhythm) to advanced.

[@wabashrethinks8262]

Thank you!

[@teachergabby]

Your videos are great!! Thank you.

[@mcchirisa]

That was very good! Thank you!

[@7Loupgarou]

are there more rules about rythm/stress or is matter of practicing??

[@seihahoeurn]

It is helpful, thanks.

[@RahulSharma-fi9nj]

Glad, I found your channel.

[@raffaojeda]

Very concise, useful explanation, useful lesson! Gracias! :)

[@haythamhashim9456]

Thanks a lot, you are wonderful.

[@deimpmirvalledeimpmiravall8222]

alguien sabe cual es la manera o la herramienta para sacar la voz clara , es decir para que el audio le salga mas claro , nítido

[@gaborsimko9390]

really good video :) What program you used to make the texts? :)

[@Trump-a-Tron]

Rhythm is a dancer, it's a source companion, people feel it everywhere.

[@jenyoon9126]

so helpful. It arranged in my head.!

[@sushmamalik3122]

V nice described 👍

[@lamcungan855]

Thank you for your sharing, it's very useful for me to learn English well. However, i can't check my voice whether it's correct or not. what can I do to check my sentences?

[@PhilipSpencer74]

You can record yourself on a cell phone. If you don't own a cell, borrow one.

[@mcjim7630]

Its a good channel. But no videos now a days

[@nnebuchiobinna8652]

Thanks a lot

[@quttuz]

The most important video ever ..

[@hoctienganh5119]

This lectrure is very useful to me.

[@isabelangelica8658]

MUCHAS GRACIAS POR COMPARTIR

[@jumaali4933]

It's absolutely great

[@miralalaa9766]

Extremely helpful! Thank you.

[@kamiliaaddad9060]

Hey Larissa 🤗🤗🤗I think that you fine!!your lesson are amazing ans they are so good anytime i hope to continue un this way and i dont know why you had stopped this rules???i wish i could successed un my Bac exam with distinction👍😍

[@GlynWilliams1950]

This is very useful for Asians because when they use a tonal language, all the syllables are spaces evenly, and it doesn't sound natural in English.

[@StoryPaul]

Excellent lesson!

[@bluesea_11]

your video is great but I have a question plz , In the example " I have to go to school" you say "to gp" as one word BUT in anther video you say "I have to " as " I hafta" so how can I know ??

[@houaritifest1501]

Very useful and interesting, thanks

[@moussasy7291]

very clear.

[@prez1999]

Very Helpful!!! keep it up !!!! LOVE IT

[@sunday8386]

Awesome🎉

[@chinesewithjenjenlee]

So useful, thanks!

[@DhaExo]

Very helpful I must say!

[@agnesdomi6651]

Wonderful ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@picasso2782]

nice and awesome... you are the best 😃😃😃