Understanding Syllables and Word Stress in English Pronunciation
This lesson explores the concepts of syllables and stress in English, highlighting the importance of stress for correct pronunciation and effective communication.

Oxford Online English
2.9M views • Feb 21, 2019

About this video
In this lesson, you can learn about syllables and stress in English.
Do you know what stress means? It’s one of the most important pronunciation points in English.
When you speak English, do other people find it difficult to understand what you’re saying? If so, you might not be using stress correctly.
Pronouncing words with the correct stress can make a big difference to your English: your English will immediately sound clearer and more natural.
NOTE: there is an error at 1:41 – the stress marker in the IPA transcription of 'banana' should be on the 2nd syllable, rather than the 1st: /bə'nɑːnə/.
Continue working on your pronunciation, and get feedback from a certified English teacher. Try a lesson today: http://bit.ly/ooe-teachers.
See the full version of this lesson on our website: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/syllables-and-stress.
Contents:
1. How to Count Syllables 0:40
2. How to Pronounce Stress 2:43
3. Stress in Two-Syllable Words 5:16
4. Stress in Longer Words 7:33
5. Contrasts and Vowel Reductions 11:16
In this lesson you'll learn:
- What syllables are, and how to count the syllables of a word
- Introduction to word stress
- How to pronounce word stress in English
- How to hear the word stress when listening in English
- Rules for finding the stress of a word in English
SUBSCRIBE to continue improving your English! https://goo.gl/UUQW8j
Become an OOE member to see our newest lessons before they're available to the public, and more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNbeSPp8RYKmHUliYBUDizg/join
See more free English lessons like this on our website: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/.
Do you know what stress means? It’s one of the most important pronunciation points in English.
When you speak English, do other people find it difficult to understand what you’re saying? If so, you might not be using stress correctly.
Pronouncing words with the correct stress can make a big difference to your English: your English will immediately sound clearer and more natural.
NOTE: there is an error at 1:41 – the stress marker in the IPA transcription of 'banana' should be on the 2nd syllable, rather than the 1st: /bə'nɑːnə/.
Continue working on your pronunciation, and get feedback from a certified English teacher. Try a lesson today: http://bit.ly/ooe-teachers.
See the full version of this lesson on our website: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/syllables-and-stress.
Contents:
1. How to Count Syllables 0:40
2. How to Pronounce Stress 2:43
3. Stress in Two-Syllable Words 5:16
4. Stress in Longer Words 7:33
5. Contrasts and Vowel Reductions 11:16
In this lesson you'll learn:
- What syllables are, and how to count the syllables of a word
- Introduction to word stress
- How to pronounce word stress in English
- How to hear the word stress when listening in English
- Rules for finding the stress of a word in English
SUBSCRIBE to continue improving your English! https://goo.gl/UUQW8j
Become an OOE member to see our newest lessons before they're available to the public, and more! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNbeSPp8RYKmHUliYBUDizg/join
See more free English lessons like this on our website: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/.
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Video Information
Views
2.9M
Likes
70.2K
Duration
13:52
Published
Feb 21, 2019
User Reviews
4.8
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