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English Pronunciation: Stressed Syllables within a Word -- American Accent

Video vocabulary

video

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US / 'vɪdɪəʊ /

UK / ˈvɪdiˌo /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Of a moving film, with sound
  • noun
  • Recording capturing action with sound
  • verb
  • To make a moving film of, with sound

equal

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US / 'i:kwəl /

UK / ˈikwəl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Same in shape, size, or number
  • verb
  • To add up or be the same as

syllable

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US / 'sɪləbl /

UK / ˈsɪləbəl /

B2
  • noun
  • Part of a word containing a vowel

can

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US / kæn /

UK / kən,kæn /

A1
  • noun
  • A metal container for storing food
  • other
  • Able to; have the skill to; have the time to
  • verb
  • To have permission to
  • To be possible to do
  • To preserve food by sealing it in a metal container

maybe

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US / ˈmeɪbi /

UK / ˈmebi /

A1
  • adverb
  • Possibly but not certainly; perhaps

not

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US / nɒt /

UK / nɑt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Word indicating the negative
  • (Used to form the negative of verbs)

quite

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US / kwaɪt /

UK / kwaɪt /

A1
  • adverb
  • Not very; fairly
  • Very; In a complete or total manner

really

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US / ˈri:əli /

UK / ˈriəˌli, ˈrili /

A1
  • adverb
  • Used to stress something that is said; definitely
  • In a true or accurate manner
  • Very

understand

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US / ˌʌndə'stænd /

UK / ˌʌndɚˈstænd /

A1
  • verb
  • To know the meaning of language, what someone says

but

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US / bət /

UK / bʌt,bət /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used before you say something different, opposite

english

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US / ˈɪŋglɪʃ /

UK / ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Concerning the culture and people of England
  • noun
  • Language of the UK, USA, Nigeria and elsewhere
  • Person's name

generally

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US / /

UK / /

A2
  • adverb
  • Usually; as a rule; by, to or for most people

tell

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US / tel /

UK / tɛl /

A1
  • verb
  • To (strongly) advise a person to do something
  • To be able to guess
  • To say or communicate information to someone
  • To inform, but without speaking; indicate
  • To have a negative effect on someone
  • To order someone to do something; command
  • To recognize something based on certain signs
  • To report something to an authority
  • To explain something or teach someone something

primary

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US / 'praɪmərɪ /

UK / ˈpraɪˌmɛri, -məri /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • Most important, most basic or essential
  • Happening first; earliest
  • of or for the teaching of young children

first

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US / fɜ:st /

UK / fɚst /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • 1st; Coming before all others in time or place
  • noun
  • Something that has not happened before
  • Position of the winner of a competition

present

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US / 'preznt /

UK / ˈprɛznt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being in attendance; being there; having turned up
  • noun
  • Gift
  • Verb tense indicating an action is happening now
  • Current time; now
  • verb
  • To introduce someone to others
  • To host a program on television or radio
  • To give a speech or presentation
  • To show something to someone who will examine it
  • To appear or happen
  • To give an award or prize to someone

accented

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US / ækˈsentɪd , ˈæksentɪd /

UK / ækˈsentɪd , ˈæksentɪd /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Marking a design e.g. on a shirt
  • verb
  • To give emphasis to (a point you are making)

absolutely

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US / ˈæbsəlu:tli /

UK / ˈæbsəˌlutli, ˌæbsəˈlutli /

A2
  • adverb
  • Completely; totally; very

mean

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US / mi:n /

UK / min /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being good at
  • Nasty; unkind
  • Not liking to spend money; cheap; stingy
  • noun
  • Average of a set of numbers
  • verb
  • To express a particular idea or thought
  • To intend to do something in particular
  • To have a particular meaning or value

about

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US / ə'baʊt /

UK / əˈbaʊt /

A1
  • adverb
  • To be ready to; going to
  • Nearly; approximately; roughly
  • Near; next to; close to
  • In every direction; in the area of
  • preposition
  • Concerning or of (a topic)

noun

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US / naʊn /

UK / naʊn /

A1
  • noun
  • The subject or object of a sentence

sit

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US / sɪt /

UK / sɪt /

A1
  • verb
  • To take an exam
  • To be in a resting position on a chair
  • To provide seating for people
  • To remain in a still position while being painted

second

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US / 'sekənd /

UK / ˈsɛkənd /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • 2nd; the one following first
  • noun
  • Unit of time; one sixtieth of a minute
  • Short period of time that you wait for someone
  • (Do) soon

that

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US / ðæt /

UK / ðæt, ðət /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • The person or thing being talked about
  • Used to identify something both the speakers know
  • adverb
  • Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
  • To such a degree
  • conjunction
  • Used to connect a noun clause
  • Used to introduce an adverbial clause
  • Used to introduce a noun clause
  • determiner
  • Used as a noun to refer to something
  • pronoun
  • Referring an object far away
  • Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’

what

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US / wɒt /

UK / hwɑt, hwʌt, wɔt, wʌt,hwət, wət /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Thing or things that; the same kind as
  • Used to emphasize something you are about to say
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to a particular amount, or number
  • Used to place emphasis on a particular quality
  • adverb
  • To a certain degree
  • determiner
  • Question words used for asking for information
  • exclamation
  • Used to express excitement, shock, or surprise
  • Used to ask people to repeat something they said

example

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US / ɪgˈzɑ:mpl /

UK / ɪɡˈzæmpəl /

A1
  • noun
  • Thing, person which represents a category

undo

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US / ʌnˈdu: /

UK / ʌnˈdu /

A2
  • verb
  • To open, untie or loosen something

and

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US / ənd /

UK / ənd, ən,ænd /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to refer to two or more things
  • Plus; in addition; on top of that
  • Used to introduce an action that follows another

base

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US / beɪs /

UK / bes /

A2
  • noun
  • Place military personnel live, train, and operate
  • Bottom part of an object that touches a surface
  • Unit of counting, e.g. 10 for counting
  • Most important idea or ingredient to add others
  • Origin or start from which something came
  • Main place where an organization or a person works
  • verb
  • To use as the starting point or origin for
  • To have as the main location for (company, etc.)

hope

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US / həʊp /

UK / hop /

A1
  • noun
  • When you wish something will happen; what you wish
  • verb
  • To expect and want something to happen

rest

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US / rest /

UK / rɛst /

A1
  • noun
  • Time when one relaxes, sleeps, or is inactive
  • State in which there is a lack of motion
  • Part of something remaining after some was used
  • verb
  • To stop working or avoid activity to recover
  • (Of dead person) to lie in a grave
  • To lean, support or place something against
  • To not be tired because you had enough sleep

any

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US / 'enɪ /

UK / ˈɛni /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • One, or some, no matter which
  • pronoun
  • One (thing) of many; some

think

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US / θɪŋk /

UK / θɪŋk /

A1
  • verb
  • To have an idea about something without certainty
  • To have an idea, opinion or belief about something

another

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US / əˈnʌðə(r) /

UK / əˈnʌðɚ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • One more, but not this
  • determiner
  • One more added
  • pronoun
  • One more (thing)

form

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US / fɔ:m /

UK / fɔrm /

A1
  • noun
  • Sports team or person's current winning record
  • Document you complete when making an application
  • Visible shape or style; type; kind
  • verb
  • To organize something such as a club or group
  • To develop; to come into a shape or substance
  • To make something into a particular shape

affect

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US / ə'fekt /

UK / əˈfɛkt /

A2
  • verb
  • To cause a change in something else

two

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US / tu: /

UK / tu /

A1
  • number
  • 2

loud

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US / laʊd /

UK / laʊd /

A2
  • adjecitve
  • Being very bright with colors, clothes etc.
  • Making a lot of noise

see

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US / si: /

UK / si /

A1
  • verb
  • To go on a date with someone
  • To predict whether something is, or will be true
  • To understand what someone says
  • To use your eyes to look at something
  • To visit a place often for sightseeing or pleasure
  • To visit or meet with someone
  • To find out by waiting or looking
  • To watch (a game, movie or TV show)

vowel

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US / ˈvaʊəl /

UK / ˈvaʊəl /

B1
  • noun
  • A speech sound; a, e , it, o, u and sometimes y

with

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US / wɪð /

UK / wɪð, wɪθ /

A1
  • preposition
  • As an employee of a certain company
  • Against something or someone
  • By using something as a means
  • Due to; because of
  • Including
  • Possessing as a feature
  • Related to
  • (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
  • Used to express that people or things are together

hear

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US / hɪə(r) /

UK / hɪr /

A1
  • verb
  • To be aware of sound; to perceive with the ear
  • To be told or find out information or facts
  • To consider or listen to a court case

notice

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US / 'nəʊtɪs /

UK / ˈnotɪs /

A1
  • noun
  • Time by when you must leave, e.g. if you are fired
  • Paper with an announcement, e.g. pinned to a board
  • verb
  • To become aware by sight, touch, or hearing

verb

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US / və:b /

UK / vɚb /

A1
  • noun
  • Word that expresses an action or state

have

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US / həv /

UK / hæv /

A1
  • verb
  • To drink, smoke, eat or use something
  • To experience the effects of something
  • To organize an event, or join in an activity
  • To own, possess, or hold something
  • To cause to happen or produce a particular effect

part

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US / pɑ:t /

UK / pɑ:rt /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • To some degree; half; not fully
  • noun
  • Division of a book
  • Ratio of something, e.g. 3 of gin, 1 of tonic
  • A line in a person's hair, made with a comb
  • Character an actor plays on stage, movie, or TV
  • Some, but not all of a specific thing
  • Role in causing something to happen
  • verb
  • To make a line in a person's hair, by using a comb
  • To move two things apart creating a space
  • To leave someone, or to break off a relationship

interchangeably

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US / ɪntəˈtʃeɪndʒəblɪ /

UK / ɪntɚˈtʃendʒəblɪ /

B1
  • adverb
  • In an manner whereby things are exchanged

chapter

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US / ˈtʃæptə(r) /

UK / ˈtʃæptɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • Small local group forming part of a larger one
  • One of the main sections of a book
  • Period or time in your life, e.g. your childhood

fall

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US / fɔ:l /

UK / fɔl /

A1
  • noun
  • Season after summer and before winter; Autumn
  • A drop in amount; decrease
  • Dropping from a standing position to the ground
  • verb
  • To drop in amount; to decrease
  • To come down from a higher position suddenly
  • To go from standing to the ground, by accident

much

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US / mʌtʃ /

UK / mʌtʃ /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Very; to a high level or degree
  • adverb
  • A lot; large amount; a high degree of
  • Nearly; basically
  • On many occasions; often
  • noun
  • A large amount; a great quantity

unstressed

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US / ʌnˈstrest /

UK / ʌnˈstrɛst /

B1
  • adjecitve
  • Having no accent or stress when spoken

pitch

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US / pɪtʃ /

UK / pɪtʃ /

B1
  • adjecitve
  • Very dark black color
  • noun
  • Act of throwing a baseball for someone to hit
  • Playing fields in sports, e.g. for soccer
  • Attempt to sell/persuade someone of the value of
  • Degree of slope on e.g. a plane's wing
  • Measure of how high or low a sound is
  • Black substance that is very stick when heated
  • verb
  • To suggest a product, idea to make someone buy
  • To throw a baseball to a batter
  • To plunge or fall forward or headlong
  • To set up a camp or tent for a length of time
  • To attempt to sell something to someone
  • To set a sound to a certain level

talk

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US / tɔ:k /

UK / tɔk /

A1
  • noun
  • Style of speaking
  • Discussion between two countries
  • Giving information in front of people; lecture
  • Saying things or ideas to someone with words
  • verb
  • To make a formal speech about something
  • To say things or ideas to someone with words

pronunciation

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US / prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃn /

UK / prəˌnʌnsiˈeʃən /

B1
  • noun
  • How a word is said; how a word sounds

for

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US / fə(r) /

UK / fɔr,fə /

A1
  • preposition
  • Used to show the purpose, or need of something

all

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US / ɔ:l /

UK / ɔl /

A1
  • adverb
  • Completely; totally
  • determiner
  • Being every one of something
  • pronoun
  • 100% of something; the complete amount

work

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US / wɜ:k /

UK / wɚk /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Activity completed in order to make money
  • noun
  • The product of some artistic or literary endeavor
  • Everything created by an author, artist, musician
  • Activity you do in order to make money
  • Place of employment
  • Final product or result of a some labor or effort
  • verb
  • To bring into a specific state of success
  • To be functioning properly, e.g. a car
  • To do your job in your company or workplace
  • To make an effort to do something
  • To operate a machine or device

look

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US / lʊk /

UK / lʊk /

A1
  • noun
  • Person's beauty or physical attractiveness
  • Particular style of dress, clothes, or appearance
  • The way someone, something appears to be
  • Act of searching for or examining something
  • verb
  • To appear to be; seem

thank

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US / θæŋk /

UK / θæŋk /

A1
  • verb
  • To tell someone you are grateful to them

topic

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US / 'tɒpɪk /

UK / ˈtɑpɪk /

A2
  • noun
  • Subject or issue people talk or write about

comprehension

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US / ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃn /

UK / ˌkɑmprɪˈhɛnʃən /

B1
  • noun
  • Act of understanding, e.g. a reading text

take

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US / teɪk /

UK / tek /

A1
  • noun
  • Filming of a single scene for TV or the movies
  • verb
  • To accept something that is offered
  • To use a method of traveling, e.g. a bus or train
  • To use a camera to make (a photo)
  • To pick up something and go away with it
  • To study a subject in school
  • To attempt to pass (an exam)
  • To require a certain amount of time, money, space

also

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US / 'ɔ:lsəʊ /

UK / ˈɔlso /

A1
  • adverb
  • In addition; too; in a similar way

you

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US / jʊ /

UK / ju /

A1
  • pronoun
  • Person someone is speaking or writing to
  • Person or people in general

one

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US / wʌn /

UK / wʌn /

A1
  • pronoun
  • You; we; people in general; someone
  • The thing or person previously referred to
  • adjecitve
  • Used to refer to people generally
  • Being a strong example of (something mentioned)
  • number
  • Number 1

stress

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US / stres /

UK / strɛs /

A2
  • noun
  • Emphasis on part of a word or sentence
  • Pressure on something or someone
  • A state of mental tension, worry due to problems
  • verb
  • To emphasize one or more parts of a word, sentence
  • To put pressure on something or someone
  • To say your opinion strongly
  • To be in a state of mental tension due to problems

than

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US / ðən /

UK / ðən /

A1
  • conjunction
  • Used to compare two things that are not equal

little

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US / 'lɪtl /

UK / ˈlɪtl /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being short in length of time
  • Not great in size, amount, or degree; small
  • Being very young or younger than others
  • adverb
  • By an amount or degree that is not very much
  • Not often; rarely
  • noun
  • A person's name

let

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US / let /

UK / lɛt /

A1
  • verb
  • To allow someone to do something
  • Introducing a suggestion to do something together
  • To rent a house, etc. to others

the

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US / ðə /

UK / ðə /

A1
  • article
  • Used to refer to something already mentioned
  • Used to show there is only one of something
  • determiner
  • Used to describe all of a family

this

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US / ðɪs /

UK / ðɪs /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Used to indicate something already been discussed
  • Used to indicate something happening around now
  • adverb
  • An indication by a physical motion or gesture
  • A specific amount of
  • determiner
  • Person, thing, or idea near you
  • pronoun
  • Person, thing that has already been discussed

word

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US / wɜ:d /

UK / wɚd /

A1
  • noun
  • Unit of language that has a meaning
  • Promise
  • Short remark or piece of information
  • verb
  • To express something by choosing particular words

unaccented

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US / ʌnˈæksentɪd /

UK / ʌnˈæksɛntɪd /

B2
  • adjecitve
  • Pronounced with little or no stress

imagination

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US / ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃn /

UK / ɪˌmædʒəˈneʃən /

A2
  • noun
  • Ability to creates new ideas and mental images

accent

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US / 'æksent /

UK / ˈækˌsɛnt /

A2
  • noun
  • Feature of a design, e.g. a stripe on a shirt
  • Correct spoken emphasis on a part of a word
  • A way of speaking that shows your dialect or class
  • verb
  • To give emphasis to (a point you are making)

make

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US / meɪk /

UK / mek /

A1
  • noun
  • Product made by a particular company; brand
  • verb
  • To arrange or prepare something e.g. dinner
  • To get to (a place) on time
  • To gain the status of (teacher, lawyer, etc.)
  • To create something by putting things together
  • To earn a certain amount of money at a job
  • To cause or force a person to do something
  • To cause something to happen or be formed

will

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US / wɪl /

UK / wɪl /

A1
  • noun
  • Desire or choice of someone
  • Document saying who gets your money when you die
  • Strong desire to do something; determination
  • Desire to do something; strong wish to do
  • other
  • Used with verbs to express the future
  • verb
  • To leave property to someone after your death
  • To use mental effort to make something happen
  • Am (is, are) likely to do
  • To influence someone to do something
  • To make something happen by strongly wanting it

schwa

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US / ʃwɑ: /

UK / ʃwɑ /

A1
  • other
  • A neutral middle vowel; occurs in unstressed syllables

listen

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US / ˈlɪsn /

UK / ˈlɪsən /

A1
  • verb
  • To carefully consider what someone is saying

here

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US / hɪə(r) /

UK / hɪr /

A1
  • adverb
  • In this place; at this location, position or time

meaning

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US / ˈmi:nɪŋ /

UK / ˈminɪŋ /

A1
  • noun
  • Idea or thing represented by words or sentences
  • verb
  • To express a particular idea or thought
  • To intend to do something in particular
  • To have a particular intention or value

use

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US / ju:s /

UK / ju:s /

A1
  • noun
  • Ability to employ something
  • Need to enable it to work
  • Permission to do something with something
  • Act of spending money
  • Operation of a machine for its function
  • verb
  • To have; to eat, drink, consume etc.
  • To need to operate or work
  • To operate a machine, e.g. a computer
  • To treat a person badly
  • To do something with, for a task or purpose

secondary

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US / ˈsekəndri /

UK / ˈsekənderi /

A1
  • adjecitve
  • Being of less importance than something else

bed

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US / bed /

UK / bɛd /

A1
  • noun
  • Flat bottom surface of a lake, ocean etc.
  • A piece of furniture that people sleep on
  • An area on which other things are put
  • Area of ground to grow vegetables or flowers
  • verb
  • To have sex with someone
  • To plant, fix, or attach something firmly to

matter

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US / 'mætə(r) /

UK / ˈmætɚ /

A1
  • noun
  • Material all things are made of that fills space
  • Problem or reason for concern
  • verb
  • To be of great importance; to count
  • Subtitles section
  • Today, I’m going to talk about word stress.
  • Word stress is the idea that any word with more than one syllable, one or more than one syllable, will be stressed or accented, and the rest will be unstressed or unaccented.
  • Notice that I’m using the words stress and accent interchangeably.
  • So, in English, not all syllables are created equal.
  • Stressed or accented syllables will be higher in pitch, longer in duration, and generally a little louder than unstressed or unaccented syllables.
  • So let’s look at some examples.
  • Chapter.
  • A two-syllable word, chapter.
  • Which syllable do you think is stressed?
  • It’s the first syllable.
  • Chapter.
  • Can you hear that it’s louder, and that it’s higher in pitch?
  • Another example, undo, undo.
  • I hope you can hear that here, the stress falls on the second syllable.
  • Chapter, undo.
  • The word imagination.
  • I-ma-gi-na-tion.
  • Nay has a primary stress, but there is a secondary stress in this word.
  • I-ma-, on the second syllable.
  • I-ma-gi-na-tion.
  • So what is the secondary stress?
  • This means that it will be a little higher in pitch, maybe a little longer in duration, but not quite as much as the syllable in the word that has the primary stress.
  • Does word stress really matter?
  • Absolutely.
  • It can affect the pronunciation, it can affect the meaning of a word.
  • Let’s take, for example, this word.
  • As an adjective or a noun, this stress falls on the first syllable.
  • Present, present.
  • As a verb, the stress falls on the second syllable.
  • Present, present.
  • So as a noun or adjective, the first vowel is the EH as in bed, and the second vowel, unaccented, is the schwa.
  • In the verb form, however, present, the first vowel in the unaccented syllable is the IH as in sit vowel, and the second vowel in the stressed syllable is the EH as in bed.
  • Present, present.
  • It’s an important part to being understood.
  • To work on this, take a look at the video Listening Comprehension in Two Syllable Words, and see if you can tell, based on hearing, which syllable is stressed.
  • Also, more videos on this topic will be made.
  • That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.