A stressed sound is louder, longer and higher than other words. For example, in the word “yesterday,” the “yes” is louder, longer and higher than “terday.”
yes terday
Remember that syllables are the sounds in a word. For example, the word “computer” has 3 sounds (3 syllables).
In the word “computer,” the three syllables are:
com pu ter
The second syllable is stressed:
com pu ter
It is difficult to know where to put the stress on a word, and stress can change depending on the speaker’s mood or focus. Finding stress is a skill best developed by listening to many English words.
Below are some English words with the stressed syllables marked.
| table → ta ble | bookshelf → book shelf |
| refrigerator → re frig er a tor | complain → com plain |
| question → ques tion | answer → an swer |
| library → li bra ry | apartment → a part ment |
| decide → de cide | information → infor ma tion |
Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.