with Speak Method
| English Online with Speak Method |
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| Watch Video Look at the chart to understand the difference between stress in common or "set" phrases and stress in phrases that are simply descriptive. Common phrases are cultural and need to be learned. For international people, the differences between common and descriptive phrases may not make sense--at least until you have been in the country and spoken with Americans regularly for some years. In common phrases, we stress the first word. In descriptive phrases, we usually stress the noun. This means that in common phrases, we think of the two words as one. This list provides an overview and includes common phrases from household objects to sports terms to idioms in order to show the wide range of common phrases. |
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| Common
Phrase |
Stress |
Descriptive
Phrase |
Stress |
| a pair of blue jeans |
a pair of blue jeans | a pair of old jeans |
a pair of old jeans |
| a light bulb |
a light bulb | a red bulb |
a red bulb |
| a potted plant |
a potted plant | a leafy plant |
a leafy plant |
| a flower garden |
a flower garden | a small garden |
a small garden |
| a vacuum cleaner |
a vacuum cleaner | a very good cleaner |
a very good cleaner |
| a
paper bag |
a paper bag | a
large bag |
a
large bag |
| a
plastic bag |
a plastic bag | a
blue bag |
a
blue bag |
| a
key chain |
a key chain | a
new chain |
a
new chain |
| a
sports car |
a sports car | a
small car |
a
small car |
| a
baseball player |
a baseball player | a
new player |
a
new player |
| his
batting average |
his batting average | his
former average |
his
former average |
| the
stock market |
the stock market | the
financial market |
the
financial market |
| a
farmer's market |
a farmer's market | an
interesting market |
an
interesting market |
| a
department store |
a department store | a
nearby store |
a
nearby store |
| a
coffee shop |
a coffee shop | a
cozy shop |
a
cozy shop |
| an
Indian restaurant |
an Indian restaurant | a
good restaurant |
a
good restaurant |
| a
Thai restaurant |
a Thai restaurant | a
popular restaurant |
a
popular restaurant |
| a
reality check |
a reality check | a
written check |
a
new check |
| a
wake-up call |
a wake-up call | a
recent call |
a
recent call |
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Study syllable stress with a video lesson at 500 Common Words Syllable Stress. Learn 5 rules on stressing words in sentences: Word Stress. Back to Speak Method home page. |