BEGLA- 138- UNIT- 15 ( Pronouncing Correctly- 2: Stress and Rhythm in Connected Speech and Voice Training ) Reading And Speaking Skills

BEGLA- 138- UNIT- 15- Pronouncing Correctly- 2: Stress and Rhythm in Connected Speech and Voice Training-  Reading And Speaking Skills IGNOU Subject

INTRODUCTION

• In English, some words are pronounced louder, higher and longer, while some words are very short and quiet.

• We speak certain words like "for" or "the" which look like we have not said. 

• That is so because some words are quiet and quick, making them hard to hear.

• We emphasize certain words (or parts of words) according their importance in a sentence.

Take the two sentences below: 

Sentence 1: I looked in the car but I didn't see my Keys

Sentence 2: I don't like tea unless it has milk.

• The first sentence is longer than the second one.

• because English is a stress- timed language, both the sentences will take about the same amount of time for a native speaker to say.

• These content words give meaning or critical information in the sentence.

RHYTHM

• The word rhythm is derived from rhythmos (Greek) which means, "measured motion.

• " Rhythm is a literary device. 

• Rhythm is the speed and tempo of how you say a sentence. 

• Rhythm means "a strong pattern of sounds, words, or musical notes that is used in music, poetry, and dancing.

STRESS

• Stress meaning saying a syllable or part of a word more strongly and can be at word level.

• For example, RECord is the noun for example of an athletics world record, while reCORD is what we do to a song when you copy it onto a CD.

• Stress has also importance at sentence level where the meaning can be changed depending on which whole word you stress. 

• Stress changes the implied meaning. 

Word Stress

• Word stress means a word (or parts of a word) is stressed more than others in a sentence.

• Certain words are stressed for different reasons.

For examples:

• What time is it ?

• I'm going to a birthday party.

• Would you like coffee or tea ?

• Content words are stressed, while function words are not stressed.

INFLUENCE OF STRESS ON RHYTHM IN ENGLISH

• The rhythmic groups are closely knit.

• This does mean that there is a pause between each group. 

• In each of the sentences above, the number of unstressed syllables between the stressed syllables is more or less the same, thus giving them a fairly regular rhythmic beat. 

READ MORE- BEGLA- 138- UNIT- 14 ( Pronouncing Correctly- 1 Sounds Of English )