A stressed syllable has a longer, louder, and higher sound than the other syllables in the word. Syllables with the schwa sound in them are rarely the stressed syllable.
How do you know when a syllable is stressed?
A stressed syllable combines five features:
- It is l-o-n-g-e-r - com p-u-ter.
- It is LOUDER - comPUTer.
- It has a change in pitch from the syllables coming before and afterwards. ...
- It is said more clearly -The vowel sound is purer. ...
- It uses larger facial movements - Look in the mirror when you say the word.
Where is the stress in the word?
All dictionaries give the phonetic spelling of a word. This is where they show which syllable is stressed, usually with an apostrophe (') just before or just after the stressed syllable. (The notes in the dictionary will explain the system used.)
