Pronunciation insight 5

Stress in compound nouns

When we put two words together, they are called compound nouns. For compound nouns, the stress is on the first word.
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swimming + pool = swimming pool

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chocolate + cake = chocolate cake

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ice + cream = ice cream

1Match the words to make names for places in a town. Play the recording, listen and check your answers. Then listen and repeat. 

train

leisure

police

bus

shopping

football

swimming

clothes

• centre
• station
• stop
• shop
• stadium
• centre
• station
• pool

 2Complete the pairs of compound nouns with the words in the box. Then play the recording, listen and check. 

MOVE
• station
• ball
• room
• book

• 1bath 

  bed

• 2train 

  bus

• 3text 

  exercise

• 4foot 

  volley

• 
  

Stress in quantities

We don’t stress of in quantities. We pronounce it /əv/ and we link it to the final consonant sound of the word before.
  a bottle of water

3Choose the correct words. Then play the recording, listen and check. Pay attention to the pronunciation of of. 

• 1a loaf of breadcrisps

• 2a bottle of coffeemilk

• 3a carton of milkpasta

• 4a slice of potatoespizza

• 5a can of ice creamcola

• 6a tin of tomatoesonions

• 7a jar of coffeejuice

• 8a packet of crispspizza

• 9a kilo of waterapples

• 10a litre of milkbread

4Practise saying the food quantities in exercise 3 with the correct pronunciation and linking of of.