Syllable Stress 2

As we had mentioned previously, there are various words that have different meanings depending on which syllable we stress. Here are some more cases.

The two following cases are words with three syllables (the Spanish phonetics are in Spanish, put the emphasis on the syllable in upper-case):

1. alternate            a. a  replacement  (AL-ter-net)

                             b. to take turns  (al-ter-NEIT)

2. moderate           a. a centrist  (MA-der-it)

                             b. to make less, preside over  (ma-der-EIT)

Are you able to pronounce the different words? In order to make the verb form, we stress the last syllable. Now here are some other curiosities with one, two, three or four syllables:

3. recreation          a. a leisure activity  (re-KRI-ei-shon)

                             b. something created anew  (RI-kri-ei-shon)

4. invalid               a. incapacitated  (IN-bfa-lid)

                            b. no longer valid  (in-BFA-lid)

5. drawer               a. an artist who draws  (drau-er)

                             b. a container in a piece of furniture  (draur)

6. minute               a. sixty seconds  (mi-NET)

                             b. tiny  (MAI-nut)

7. resign                a. to sign again  (RI-sain)

                             b. to quit  (ri-TSAIN)

Listen to the recording below.







What a difference a little emphasis here or there can make!