Pronunciation insight 4

 Word stress and syllables: compound nouns and adjectives

In English, if a word has got two or more syllables, one of the syllables sounds louder, longer and clearer than the others. It is called the stressed syllable.
For example, the words kitchen, messy and hoover have two syllables, but only the first one is stressed.

1Play the recording, listen to the words and write the number of syllables. Then listen again and repeat. 

• 1clock

• 2expensive

• 3attic

• 4clean

• 5chimney

• 6bungalow

• 
  

2Play the recording, listen and match each group of words 1−4 to the stress patterns a−d. Then listen again and repeat. 

• 1computerrecyclingimportant

• a

• 2modernrubbishcottage

• b

• 3detachedmachineshampoo

• c

• 4balconycaravandecorate

• d

• 
  

3Underline the stressed syllable in words 1−6. Then play the recording, listen and check. 

Word stress and syllables: compound nouns and adjectives

When two words are used together to form a compound noun or adjective, their stress pattern often changes. In the compound, usually only one of the words is stressed.

4Play the recording, listen and underline the stressed words. Which word is usually stressed in compound adjectives: the first or the second? Which two compound adjectives are different? 

The stress in compound adjectives is usually on the  word. The compound adjectives  and  are different because the stress is on the  word.

5Complete the pairs of compound nouns with the words in the box. Then play the recording, listen and check your answers. Which word is usually stressed in compound nouns: the first or the second? Which four compound nouns are different? 

MOVE
• door
• house
• machine
• pan
• room

• 1arm

• chair

wheel

• 2bed 

  dining

• 3frying 

  sauce

• 4back 

  front

• 5detached 

  terraced

• 6fax 

  washing

The stress in compound nouns is usually on the  word. The compound nouns , ,  and  are different because the stress is on the  word.

6Play the recording, listen and answer the questions using the compound nouns in exercise 5. 

1

• In a .

• 2In the .

• 3In the .

• 4In an .

• 5In a .

• 6In my .