Top 5 Tips: How to Identify Stressed Syllables in English Words | Writing Rhyme & Meter for Children

#stressedsyllables #writingrhyme #identifystressedsyllables #poeticmeter #writingforchildren
In this video I share my top 5 tips for how to identify stressed syllables in English words. Identifying stressed syllables is an essential skill for writers who want to write in rhyme and meter, rhyming picture books, or rhyming poetry for children.
Learn more about the Lyrical Language Lab online course:
www.reneelatulippe.com/writin...
ABOUT PEEK & CRITIQUE
PEEK & CRITIQUE -- for writers of rhyming picture books, prose picture books, and children's poetry -- is a series that explores concepts taught in The Lyrical Language Lab online course, such as poetic meter, rhyme, sound devices, word choice, lyrical language, imagery, and scansion. I read and critique YOUR submitted writing samples of rhyming picture books, prose picture books, and children's poetry, explaining concepts along the way.
This is a FREE service for kidlit writers! You do not need to have taken my Lyrical Language Lab course to participate. This service is open to ALL children's writers!
Want to submit a writing sample for Peek & Critique? Go here:
www.reneelatulippe.com/peek-c...

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

QOTD: Do you have your own tips or tricks for identifying stressed syllables? I'd love to hear about them!

[@AnneMariePace]

Some people suggest putting your hand on your chin. The syllable on which your hand and chin move down the most is the stressed syllable. I have not tried every word to know if this works, but the ones I've tried, it works for.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

@@AnneMariePace Oh yes, I've heard that tip too! Or looking in a mirror to see where your mouth opens wider. I think both of these work best if you exaggerate the enunciation. Thanks for reminding me of this one! :)

[@dinette76]

I like to say the word out loud as if asking a "question": "Capricious?!?" - that's how I hear the stressed syllable. :-) Wonderful to discover your channel Renée and glad to see you are well. Hope to be able to join your lyrical lab next year. Hugs, D.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

@@dinette76 That's a great tip! Thank you for sharing -- and I hope to see you in class sometime! :)

[@willsperry9817]

You have a natural talent for teaching. Thank you.

[@cristianjadetulisana174]

I'M LITERALLY CRYING HERE WE ARE ON A RUSH MAKING AIAMBIC PENTAMETER SONNET ORIGINALLY BUT MY BROKE EARS AND UNNATIVE TONGUE ARE SAYING THAT I'M THE ONE WHO'S STRESSED. THANK YOU MAAM YOU REALLY REALLY SAVED ME THANK YOUU THANK YOUUUUU I THOUGHT I'LL FAIL MY SUBJECT. update: I finish my year with high honors (95 gwa).

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wow, so glad this lesson helped you!!! Hang in there! :D

[@mrinvisible40]

It's iambic perameter

[@mara9783]

OMG, I WANT THAT TOO!!

[@tomc642]

The easiest is to stress a syllable that’s a root word, and ignore anything that looks like a prefix or suffix. That would be my tip.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

That is an excellent tip! Thank you so much!

[@tjtocker]

Hey! Even though English is my first language and I'm actually a professional copywriter, this video was really helpful to me too. I'm always looking to improve the flow of my writing and I've been struggling to understand lexical stress until I saw this video. So, I just wanted to say thank you.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wow, high praise! I always say that studying poetic techniques will help ANY writer in any genre, so your comment speaks to that point and is much appreciated. :)

[@danielpavlin]

Hi Ms. Lyrical, I got a C- on my midterm, but I am very much grateful for your tips. This really helps. Wish me luck on the final.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Best of luck on your final test! You can do it!!

[@queenofweaves916]

I am SO glad I found your video! I am taking creative writing and we are studying rhyme and meter. I was at a complete loss, my professor did a great video but I wasn't understanding. I couldn't hear a thing in any of the poems. Thank God for youtube! I subscribed and will be using your work as support. I am a visual learner and the examples you used literally turned a switch on in my head lol.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Oh, hooray!! Your message made my day. I am so pleased you found the video helpful. I'm a visual learner too, so I'm ALL ABOUT visual aids, haha. Wishing you the best of luck in your creative writing class!!

[@eftitasusarani5865]

I'm 46 years & I'm in 4th semester now. This semester, I have Poem & Prose subject. I definitely need this video 👍🏻 Thank you

[@sloppyking7661]

Wow I'm a musician and I've always found it very hard to put lyrics to my melodies and melodies to my lyrics but this video has made writing and composing melodies so much easier The tip of saying it wrong really helped me figure it out and ive never heard anyone explain it that way Thank you so much

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're so welcome!

[@pennyklostermann]

You're the BEST teacher, Renee. So concise and clear. It's like you're in our minds and know just what we need to help us understand! Love these videos!!!!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

GAH! You are a doll, Penny! Thank you for your enthusiasm and support!

[@elijahkim1885]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WAS SO CONFUSED IN ENGLISH BUT THIS MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER

[@tallisegaston4709]

You were the first person to explain this in a way that actually made sense to me. Thank you so much

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Yay! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@rileycook7196]

this video is a lifesaver. as far as my own tricks go, i try singing the verse to songs (or well known lines from lit pieces) with different meters. ex) iambic: amazing grace, house of the rising sun; anapestic: twas the night before christmas, how firm a foundation; trochaic: the raven, or any nursery rhyme really; dactylic: there's a really good song called "the dactyl poem" by allan wolf which is extremely helpful for dactyls. hopefully this helps someone!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Great tricks, Riley, thanks so much for sharing those resources! Allan Wolf's "The Dactyl Poem" is amazing -- and I featured it on my blog No Water River. He did a fabulous juggling video for it. :) www.nowaterriver.com/the-dactyl-poem-by-allan-wolf/

[@stephanielmt]

Seriously wish someone had explained this to me 15+ years ago when I was in high school. I've always known about my skill gap but it seemed too complicated to figure out on my own. Thanks for this simple breakdown!!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're very welcome! Glad you found the video helpful! :)

[@kristaloechnerbvvv]

Yessssss. Ditto.

[@sheripreston7478]

Thank you so much Renee. You have been so helpful and encouraging!!!

[@kristaloechnerbvvv]

This helped me more than you know. Or maybe you do know. That's probably why you made this video. All I know is I can't thank you enough.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Ha! Glad to be of help!

[@userenvy]

I Never knew how to search for this and im happy i finally figured it out. Like a song that doesnt rhyme but it hits u. I saw the dramatics of it but not the cadence but now i get it. Im so happy!!!!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hooray! Glad the video helped!

[@Ivan-ln3wh]

Great video. Thank you for this!

[@cabdiqadiriya4718]

Absolutely it is very good topic which deserves to pay explanation thanks ms dear

[@folkie099]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video!

[@callum1989]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU.

[@minitapsstudio]

Just what I really needed right now. Thank you!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Great! I'm so glad the video was useful to you! :)

[@keb990]

Mind blowing, thank you so much

[@adsterr]

this is perfect. thank you

[@RobinWiesneth]

SO inCREdibly AWEsome! Thank you!!!!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Tee hee! I like that you didn't show the secondary stress on in-CRED-i-bly since it's not really stressed in the context of this sentence. :D

[@subhumansss2392]

God bless for your tips

[@chanteellee8025]

finally found the easiest way to identify stressed syllables....... you are the best❤❤

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Aw, thank you! So glad you found this helpful. :)

[@pattiranson3887]

I could already hear the stresses but had no idea about those little marks in the dictionary, thank you!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Tricks of the trade, Patti! :D Glad you found a new tool to use!

[@haikyuunendoroid1022]

The best teacher can’t believe I learned in one short video rather than in class. Thank you so much

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wow, I'm so glad the video was helpful to you! :)

[@sharondalgleish1623]

So clear and helpful! Thank you!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Glad you found it helpful, Sharon! :)

[@a.wenger3964]

Thank you this was very helpful!

[@zahhoran7116]

thanks very much for your video, it was amazing

[@adrianatamez6904]

Thank you so much! I am a SLP student learning to transcribe and I had such a hard time with hearing the stress. These tips are amazing!!!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

So glad you found them useful! :)

[@PrashantKumar-po6se]

Unique explanation ❤ Love from INDIA.

[@johnpoopstick6069]

This definitely gonna help me with my dlab

[@talenthunt3910]

So useful, knowledgeable n clear that I obliged.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@aainaanand3943]

that was a really helpful session. Thank you so much😊

[@deannajohnson3933]

This helped so much!!!

[@storiesbyluci9635]

I’m always learning something new with you

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

That's great to hear, Luci! Thank you for watching!

[@onovogoodness2781]

Thank You for this video, I began noticing the primary stress immediately after watching. Feels like magic

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wow, that's great! Yay! 😍

[@fluffmonger4634]

Thanks for these tutorials, Renee! You're awesome!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Jenny! It's so great to hear from you and your fluffies. :) I'm glad you like the tutorial. I just subscribed to your channel too because I NEED to make an otter plushie. :D

[@fluffmonger4634]

@@LyricalLanguageLab , aww! Thank you so much! Everyone needs an otter ;).

[@denissecarolinaferrandomat664]

Very good teaching, Reacher😊

[@leonaramsland6262]

Thank you soooooooo much this helped me with my schoolwork! :D :)

[@AmeerFazal]

Love your videos. The ideas are very clear. Especially scansion.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you find them helpful! :)

[@jacksonamaral329]

i enjoyed it.

[@hurricane4912]

I had to learn this for my music theory exam, and also thought it would be beneficial for poetry and Shakespeare. Thank you so much for helping me out as I absolutely could not discern which syllable was accented at all. Saying it with the wrong stresses made it so easy to tell which stresses were right.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wonderful! I'm so glad you found the technique that works for you!

[@rediff9819]

This is Great 👍 thanks

[@BrittanyPomales]

Thanks for breaking it down!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're welcome, Brittany! Hope it helps! :)

[@katrad1936]

I have a poetry test tomorrow and have always struggled with syllables thank you for saving me!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I hope you aced your test!

[@user-jv9mv2ve5v]

Thanxs a lot ❤️

[@joshcollins3001]

I absolutely love your video’s! So clear and easy to follow. I wondered if there was a video re the single syllable stressed words you described at the end of this please? Thank you 😊

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you enjoy the videos,, Samantha! And thanks for reminding me -- yes, a video on single words and how they are stressed in a metrical line is on the to-do list!

[@emilyolivia5737]

Thank you! Really helped :)

[@Kawaiidolfin]

Thank you so much, you helped me so much. I am currently in phonetics figuring out primary and secondary stress.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad the video helped you!! :)

[@xx_shadow_xx1137]

OMG THANK YOH VERY MUCH ITS OUR MID TERM TOMORROW AND IM STILL STRUGGLING ON THESE NOW I GET IT THANK YOU 😭💜😭💜

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hooray! I hope your test went well!

[@MsTranthihai71]

❤ thanks

[@user-uj9fv3mm1j]

Very good

[@athdot]

I am definitely a child and definitely didn't forget how this works and am coming back here because I forgot

[@AbdulWahab-hk3gf]

this is absolutely very helpful. thanks ma'am

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're welcome!

[@abdifatahali6884]

Teacher thank you i have got very improtant this lesson

[@riyazenglish3576]

Than God. Finally I Got. Incredibly well tought.

[@sophiafernandez6874]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I have a test on this in under an hour and this really saved me

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I hope your test went well!

[@alessandrocal6748]

Bell video!!! GRANDE

[@mohammadbadran5659]

god bless you!

[@marcpaters0n]

This has been immeasuarbly helpful, thanks.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you found it useful! :)

[@abbycaudle4426]

Thank you so, so much! This cleared up a lot of uncertainty I had about stressed and unstressed syllables! I so appreciate it. (:

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Yay! I'm so glad the video was helpful for you! :)

[@elliscahill4658]

BLESS YOU for making this vid

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you found it helpful! :)

[@takarin8771]

Oh my god, this video is absolutely amazing. I was struggling so much before I saw your video, and when I did, I had my mind blow. Thank you so much for such an amazing video❤

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@equillibria]

I'm reading for an online MA in English and this was very useful.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wonderful! I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@nooneknowsme1791]

Thankyou mam

[@NancyMillerIllustration]

This was so helpful!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Yay! I'm glad it was useful! :)

[@netryd]

Just thanks 🙏🙇

[@ruttsu_kun]

Dude... How did I not watch this earlier? Of course! The dictionary! I forgot about that!

[@cherriexluvs3494]

I cant thank you enough for this! I have a literature quiz coming up and really needed this video, you're like an english magician!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hooray! I'm so glad you found it helpful. Best of luck on the quiz!

[@cherriexluvs3494]

@@LyricalLanguageLab thanks, It went great!

[@thevibeeffect3642]

Thank you, it’s was really helpful

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're so welcome!

[@alinashanellekroll4059]

Thank you so much for this awesome video! It helped me understand stressed syllables much better, and this will help me in my poetry class!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Yay! I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@user-gq9wr8xo9i]

Thank you. I was so annoyed with myself for not spotting the stresses. But your video has really helped. Thank you so much. Lyrical Language Lab

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're very welcome! I'm glad the video was useful to you! :)

[@mohamedvhora9688]

Thank you. I was so annoyed with myself for not spotting the stresses. But your video has really helped. Thank you so much.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wonderful! I'm so glad to know the video was helpful! :)

[@natalieperezayap5205]

Thank you for this video. I've learned a lot.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're very welcome! I'm glad you found it helpful. 😊

[@lesanctuayre3669]

The example with Spatula is so funny and very familiar! I am French. French people are terrible at stressing words in English...Glad I found this channel!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I imagine they are no less terrible than English speakers trying to pronounce French! 😅 I'm glad you found the channel too! :)

[@gizemyalcn4401]

Thanks a lot! Your teaching approach is just amazing🤩

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're so welcome. I'm glad you found the video helpful! 🙂

[@nitaponnuninan9554]

Thank you for this video.. Today by chance got to watch this.. and I have my CELTA interview today...Hope this helps me

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I hope it helped you too! :)

[@awaisrazakhan3514]

Very helpful, i was trying hard to understand stressed and unstressed syllables since my first semester, i have even asked teacher and no one gave me satisfactory answers as u did in this video 🥰🥰🥰

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you found this tutorial helpful, Awais! The stresses can be tricky for sure. :)

[@randomname7321]

We are doing a mini unit on meter and I thought there was something wrong with me until I found this video thank you soo much the video was also very high quality and formatted great for learning so you should have a cookie!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Thank you for the cookie!

[@kendrickbarnes64]

Thank you!! I am teaching this to my students this week! We are studying Anne Bradstreet’s poem “To My Dear & Loving Husband!”

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Oh, wonderful, Kendrick! I'd be interested to know if any of your students catch the metrical variation in the line "The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray." I like using those variations as challenges, like "Where's the metrical blip?" :D

[@kendrickbarnes64]

@@LyricalLanguageLab i still have to study this!

[@TeacherDaniotAneus]

Thank you

[@Kabir_movies]

Lots of respect from India mam🙏

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

☺ Thank you!

[@ilovelevi9049]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH ! NOW I CAN PASS MY QUIZ TOMORROW!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hooray! I hope the quiz went well!

[@ilovelevi9049]

@@LyricalLanguageLab IT DID THANK YOUUUU !

[@lemmimini3493]

woah this video is surprisingly helpful , im as of the moment am a c2 level student and i STILL have problems w identifying stressed syllables . though i am aware of these stresses and do it unconsciously for some reason i cant point it out :'> but safe to say it really isnt a problem anymore thx alot

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Wonderful!! Best of luck in your further studies!

[@SirAdams-kg4hr]

Yeah! I get a cookie! Yum, where is all this great food?

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Congrats on the cookie! You'll have to bake it yourself, though. :D

[@criselledeinautrillo7051]

gotta admit, i cleared out my chocolates when i got the 3 words correct! thank you so much for this!!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Ha!! You are very welcome -- and hooray for three words correct (and for chocolate)!

[@AtiqahSafiyyah]

The video is informative and neat! Though I'm still in a trance, I'll practice as I go on. Thanks for the helpful tips, especially the bonus one. You just can't trust your ears sometimes ^^

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

I'm so glad you found it useful! :)

[@carolynbennettfraiser5575]

Thank you! I never had noticed the stress marks before! Question: are secondary stress syllables still considered stressed beats in poetry? Or would they be considered unstressed? This confuses me.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Carolyn, it CAN be confusing, and I'll do a video on that eventually as well. But in a nutshell, secondary stresses can absolutely be considered stressed beats in verse ... or NOT, depending on placement. Argh ... I think I should do that video sooner than later! :D

[@jhall6155]

@@LyricalLanguageLab Curious too! Have you that done video yet? This one was so helpful - thank you!

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

@@jhall6155 Not specifically, no, that it comes up often in my Peek & Critique videos. I did do one on single-syllable words and how placement changes the stress: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGasnaqKpciemac

[@shahedayeasmeen8089]

Thank you for your this video. Do you have more videos like this one?

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Just click on my channel name to see all the tutorials I've posted!

[@camerkiddo]

Thank for this video! I'm challenging myself to write a Shakespearean Sonnet and the stressed/unstressed syllables are killing me, lol. But I am struggling with monosyllabic words though. How do you know if they're stressed or not?

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

It's all about the placement, Icona! I made a video that talks just about that -- "One Syllable Words and Dodo Birds" -- which you can find here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGasnaqKpciemac

[@journlimy]

thank you! i was planning to write a sonnet and found out about iambic pentameter... i dont really get stressed and unstressed syllables and this video helped me a lot.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Excellent! Good luck with your sonnet! It's a tough form, but a great challenge. :)

[@derekminton6928]

May I ask a question? If I were going to use “capricious” in a e English sonnet would it be correct to use it as u/u? Is there in relation between open syllables (i.e. consonant-vowel) and closed syllables (consonant-vowel-consonant) and stressed and unstressed syllables? Thanks for your videos. They are helpful. Enjoy Italy. My wife is from Germany. I hope you’re doing okay in the midst of all the restrictions.

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hi Derek! Yes, capricious is u/u so it would fit into your trochaic or iambic meter, depending on placement. Not sure about the rest of your question...?

[@hanaakamel1247]

Thanks for this video. I know that words ending in the suffix ive have a stress on the previous syllable like offensive. The word superlative has a stress on the second syllable. Why ? The stress should be on the syllable before the suffix if we want to apply the rule. Why?

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hi Hanaa. That's a good question! It's important to remember two things: 1) IVE does not function as a suffix in every word in which it appears, and 2) English grammar rules almost always have exceptions. In fact, it is better to call them generalizations rather than rules. Adjectives are formed by combining a root word with the suffix IVE: OFFENSIVE = root word OFFENSE + IVE. EXCESSIVE = root word EXCESS + IVE. But SUPERLATIVE doesn't have a root word. It's a word in itself, no suffix, though you can add suffixes to it, as in SUPERLATIVELY. In this case, SUPERLATIVE is the root word and LY is the suffix. So in SUPERLATIVE, IVE is not a suffix. There are other words where it IS a suffix but does not follow the "rule," such as COLLABORATIVE (COLLABORATE + IVE). You might notice that words with MORE than three syllables will not follow the generalization. Check out this list of IVE words and test out this theory! en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_words_suffixed_with_-ive

[@danielstamm9957]

Such a great video - thank you! Is any of your videos talking about what Secondary Stresses mean for our rhyming? Do we just treat them as unstressed when it comes to meter?

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Hi Daniel! Secondary stresses can be stressed beats in a metrical line. For example, this iambic line: "The leaves have formed a canopy" -- the primary stress in CANOPY is CAN and the secondary stress is PY. As you can see, both stresses "count" in the meter, which we scan like this: u/u/u/u/ = the LEAVES have FORMED a CAN-o-PY. I hope that answers your question!

[@danielstamm9957]

@@LyricalLanguageLab Thank you so much, Renee! That makes perfect sense!

[@talenthunt3910]

Greaaaaaaaaaaaaatttt mam

[@Youngsarg]

Thanks Mrs

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

You're welcome!

[@fatmakhamis264]

This video really helped , I have a test tomorrow , I hope I dont forget the tips

[@LyricalLanguageLab]

Best of luck on your test!

[@teacherdowrich2028]

you are funny! this was great. thank you!