Lesson 1 of 4 · Grade 10 English
Word stress and intonation
12 min
Word stress
In English, one syllable in a word is said more strongly.
- TAble, WAter, TEACHer
- baNAna, comPUter, toMORrow
Stress can change meaning (noun vs verb):
- REcord (noun) / reCORD (verb)
- PREsent (noun: a gift) / preSENT (verb: to show)
- OBject (noun) / obJECT (verb: to disagree)
Intonation
The rise and fall of the voice.
- Falling tone for statements, commands and Wh- questions: Where do you live? ↘
- Rising tone for yes/no questions: Are you coming? ↗
- Question tags: falling when you are sure, rising when you are asking. It's hot, isn't it? ↘
Silent letters
Know common silent letters: knife, write, lamb, hour, castle, psychology (silent p).
Key points to remember
- Nouns often stress the first syllable; verbs the second
- Falling tone for Wh- questions
- Rising tone for yes/no questions
- Silent letters: knife, write, lamb, hour
Test yourself
