Word stress is another important skill to speak fluent English. You might ask: “What does word stress mean? “ Word stress is when we pronounce one syllable of a word louder, longer and with higher pitch, in other words, we emphasize the syllable. A syllable is a part or unit of a word that has a least one vowel sound with or without consonants around. Every word in English has at least one syllable that is stressed, including one syllable words, such as ten and food. Therefore, the stressed syllable and unstressed syllable together create the rhythm of English. Below are some rules that you can follow to notice where the stress is: 1. Two syllables words Noun: The stress is in the first syllable. For example: person /ˈpɜr·sən/, money /ˈmʌn·i/ Verb: The stress is in the second syllable. For example: begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ , select /səˈlekt/ 2. Heteronym words: For heteronym words (words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings, depending the context), if it is a noun the stress is in the first syllable, and if it is a verb the stress is in the second syllable. For example: progress (noun) /ˈprɑɡ·res/, progress (verb) /prəˈɡres/. 3. Compound nouns: The stress in compound nouns (two words together to form a single word or meaning) is in the first part of the compound noun. For example: mailbox /ˈmeɪlˌbɑks/, living room /ˈlɪv·ɪŋ ˌrʊm/ 4. Proper name: when the proper name has two or three words, the last word is stressed. For example: New York, Queen of England 5. Acronym: For acronyms (initial letters of the words of a name), the stress is in the last letter. UN - Union Nation, FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
Also, you can practice the word stress of English by stretching a rubber band when pronouncing the stressed syllable. Then, keep practicing everyday and your English would become more fluent and understandable by other people.