Améliorer Ton Accent En Anglais - Improve your accent: Syllable stress

An American speaking English looks like this.

And a French person speaking English looks like this.

You see the difference?

Is it important to accentuate the syllables correctly?

Absolutely!

I’m Christina from Speak Better, Feel Great TV

The place to boost your English and boost your career.

In this video, I’m gonna show you one thing that can improve your pronunciation in English.

Ya ready?

First

a little linguistic secret. French and English

are totally different types of language.

English is a stress-timed language.

That means that the different syllables have

different stress. Some are louder and stronger,

and some are softer and weaker.

French is a syllable-timed language.

That means every syllable has approximately

the same sound and volume.

The difference is important, because

if you stress the wrong syllables,

people

might not understand you.

I like your Toy-o-ta.

Sorry?

I like your Toy-o-ta.

Oh! To-YO-ta!

You like my To-YO-ta

Yes

That’s what I said!

I like your TOY-O-TA!

French and English share a lot of words,

but the syllable stress makes

all the difference.

Listen to these words and repeat them

Really exaggerate the stress,

like me!

So, you have to stress some syllables

and not stress other syllables,

but

be sure it’s the right syllable!

Christina this is for you

Oh, a PRESent! Thanks!

You're very welcome.

Let me preSENT our monthly budget.

I’m happy to work with you on this PROject.

We want to proJECT a positive image of our company.

The PROduce department at the supermarket

Our company proDUces cell phones

Some syllables aren't even stressed at all.

They simply disappear!

Let’s play a game.

You’ll see a word on the screen.

Say it to yourself

and count the number of syllables that you say

and then we'll check.

comfortable

interesting

Wednesday

evening

different

probably

That’s in-te-rest-ing but I’m not com-for-ta-ble.

Can we work on it on Wed-nes-day ev-e-ning?

Ah, its int'resting.

but you're not comf'table

so We'n'sday evening? Yeah, prob’ly.

Here's the recap

Syllable stress is important if you want people to understand you

There’s always a strong syllable

Syllable stress can change the meaning of the word:

and some syllables disappear completely:

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I'm Christina from Speak Better, Feel Great TV

See ya next time!