根据Ethnologue，当今世界上有 7,000 多种语言。尽管并非所有语言都有元音和辅音，但有些字符可以帮助说话者表示单词和发音。

幸运的是，美式英语有有助于沟通的元音和辅音。此外，单词重音决定说话者如何发音单词中每个音节。但是，当单词拼凑成句子时，说话者会将重点放在演讲中最重要的单词上。这被称为句子压力。

在句子中强调正确的词语对于一对一的对话和团队互动很重要。当你与客户和同事接触时，你不想被误解。

在本文中，我们将讨论句子重音以及为什么我们应该正确使用它，尤其是在工作场所。我们还将研究压力和同理心这两个词之间的关系，以及它如何创造一个敌对或安全的空间。

为什么句子压力如此重要？

句子重音赋予你的演讲意义。它会告诉听众你所说话的重要方面，这样他们就可以注意他们。根据其用法，句子重音可以改变或增加语音的额外含义。

If I say, 'Joe is going to the CINEMA,' my emphasis is on the place where the subject is going. It means Joe isn't going to the church, library, or office but to the cinema.

Also, if I say, 'Joe will DRIVE to the cinema,' my emphasis is on how the subject intends to get to the destination. Joe will drive, not walk.

When you combine word stress with intonation in a sentence, it highlights words that offer new information or a contrasting one. 

Let's examine these sentences:

I WANT FISH and CHIPS.

I want fish AND chips, NOT fish OR chips.

The first sentence tells us the speaker's menu request. Hence, "want", "fish", and "chips" are highlighted. Those words convey the most important information in the speech. 

Assuming this conversation is taking place in a restaurant, the second sentence reiterates the menu request. Therefore, if the waiter heard something different initially, the stressed words - "and", "not", and "or" - make the request clear. 

Correct sentence stress also indicates when there is a transition from one subject matter to another so that your listeners won't be confused. It makes you sound intelligent, courteous, or empathetic. And empathy is a critical leadership skill in the workplace. 

Empathy is the art of understanding how a person feels and why they act the way they do at a given moment. It literally means feeling the feelings of others. If you're empathetic, you will be able to express your ideas clearly so that it makes sense to your audience. But if you fail to stress the right words, you may come off as rude or insensitive. 

Which Words to Stress in a Sentence?

When you listen to music, you move with the flow because it has a rhythm. This is what happens in American English. The beats may not be noticeable, but they are present. You can hear them when having a conversation with a native English speaker.

Each word has a unique sound that comes together to form a pattern, which you could also call a rhythm. And the way the words flow in a sentence is based on the stressed and unstressed words.

The English language is stress-timed. This means some words get more emphasis and stress than others. The stressed words have consistent beats that determine how long it takes to say a sentence. 

On the other hand, the unstressed words are suppressed, irrespective of how many they are in a sentence. They appear less important so that they don't affect the timing of the stressed words.

Here's an example:

Boys beat drums.

The boys beat drums.

The boys beat the drums.

The boys will beat the drums.

The boys will be beating the drums.

The highlighted words are stressed while the others are unstressed. So, no matter how long the sentence looks, the unstressed words are compressed to give the same timing to the stressed words. Therefore, it will take you approximately the same time to say all four sentences in the example because the stressed words are "boys", "beat", and "drums."

So how do you know which words to stress in a sentence?

In the English language, important words, also known as content words, are stressed. The unstressed words are called function words. 

Content words ensure that your listeners have an idea of what you're saying even if the other words are absent. Function words only help your sentence to sound grammatically correct; they can't stand alone.

Content words include the following:

• Nouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
• Question words
• Negative auxiliary and modal words
• Negative words
• Numbers

Function words include the following:

• Auxiliary verbs
• Modal verbs
• Verb "To-be"
• Pronouns
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Articles

Let's look at a few examples.

• He is interested in studying Law.

In the sentence above, "interested" is an adjective, "studying" is a verb, and "Law" is a noun. 

• I won't be at the meeting, but Joe wants to go.

The content words in the sentence are "won't" (negative word), "meeting" (noun), "Joe" (noun), "wants" (verb), and "go" (verb). The other words are function words.

There is an already established pattern for placing stress in individual words. You can find it in an English dictionary or by studying the general rules. When it comes to stressing words in a sentence, it is totally up to the speaker to determine what is important and what isn't.

However, an easy way to know which words to stress is to dissect the sentence. Identify the words that will still make sense even if other words are missing.

For instance, "He bought a new car" 

If you take away "he" and "a", the listener will still get the message you're trying to convey. 

Below are examples of good stress placements:

• But when I came back to it, I had all sorts of new ideas.
• The ability to get back up when we fall, when we experience setbacks and failures.
• And then if we're not the most powerful, if two more of us band together, it makes us powerful.

You can find more speeches from popular speakers, authors, and podcast hosts for daily practice.

How to Put Word Stress in a Sentence to Sound Empathic?

Empathy helps to build a good rapport with coworkers and customers. It convinces people to feel safe around you since they know that you understand and respect their feelings. However, it all starts with pronouncing words correctly and speaking with the right intonation.

Intonation is the way your voice rises and falls. It goes beyond the words you speak to portray your emotions. Also, it indicates when you are asking a question, making a statement, or confirming information.

Let's examine some workplace scenarios that involve empathetic communication.

A coworker looks moody because they couldn't close a deal. You may go over to their desk to find out how they are faring. The ideal thing to say is, "How are you feeling?"

Placing emphasis on "you" or "feeling" coupled with the right facial expression shows that you really care. It presents an opportunity for them to speak openly. Even when they don't bare their hearts to you, they will feel relieved because you showed concern.

Another colleague has a backlog of work from the previous week and is already looking fatigued. You may ask, "How can I help?"

If you use a flat note, it may suggest that you are mocking them for taking up more work than they can handle. But placing emphasis on "can" and "help" indicates that you are being supportive and genuinely want to help.

Furthermore, someone just won an award for being the best performer of the year. The most sensible way to compliment their hard work is to give them a pat on the back and say something that will make them feel great. 

Assuming you say, "Well done," it can be interpreted in different ways. When said with enthusiasm and a smiling face, it shows you are happy for them and wish them all the best. But if you do not stress the words, it suggests you don't think they deserve the award.

The correct use of word stress is important when practicing empathy. It helps your listener to know that you mean what you say.

Anecdotal Situations Caused by Wrong Word Stress?

We have established the fact that word stress is a key to clear American English. It gives clues that enable your audience to understand you. You may not pronounce the words correctly, but stressing the right syllable of each word could be helpful. However, if you do not use the correct word stress, your listeners will assume a different meaning. 

Non-native speakers usually use word stress wrongly when pronouncing contrasting bi-syllabic nouns and verbs. Here are some examples:

Present

• I got a PREsent for my birthday.
• I will preSENT a new topic.

PREsent (noun) means a gift. PreSENT (verb) means to introduce or to give.

Record

• I have a REcord of the conversation.
• Did you reCORD the conversation? 

REcord (noun) means a collection of facts, while reCORD (verb) means to collect facts.

Increase

• There's an INcrease in the prices of goods.
• The government plans to inCREASE taxes next year.

INcrease (noun) means the rise in something, while inCREASE means to make something become bigger.

Desert

• The Sahara DEsert is a vast.
• He plans to deSERT the army.

DEsert (noun) means dry land with little to no rainfall and little vegetation, while deSERT means to abandon someone or something.

There are more words with contrasting meanings such as combine, permit, project, object, and so on. But with constant practice, you will be able to stress the right syllable and communicate the right message. 

How to Create the Rhythm of English Like an American Native Speaker

The rhythm of English is related to the use of word stress. So, if you want to speak like an American native speaker, you should know which words to stress in a sentence. You should also know which syllable to stress in a word. Afterward, add a bit of emotion to your speech to ensure that everyone understands precisely what you're saying.

These tips will help you master the rhythm of English:

• Get a good English dictionary. A symbol (') precedes the stressed syllable. For example: 

• PronunciAtion - /prəˌnʌnsɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n/
• CommuniCAtion - /kəmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
• ReWARD - /rɪˈwɔːd/

• 通过与美洲原住民闲逛、观看美国电视以及收听广播节目或播客来收听他们说的话。
• 聘请演讲教练。
• 使用发音检查器。

虽然聘请教练可能很昂贵或耗时，但发音检查器提供各种功能，而且价格合理。其中一个检查员是发音应用程序，一款 AI 语音助手。

使用 Pronece 应用程序是英语学习者自信地学习如何说美式英语的一种谨慎方式。要开始使用，请使用您的 Google 帐号在网站上注册。你也可以安装 chrome 浏览器扩展程序在计算机上录制对话并在之后收听。

Pronuce 应用程序的主要功能

以下是你将从 Pronce 应用程序中获得的内容：

大声朗读: 无论你是在阅读电子书还是在上网，突出显示文本，Pronece 都会大声朗读。根据您的喜好，您可以选择男声或女声。Pronece 还足够慷慨，可以包括英国、澳大利亚、印度和威尔士英语的配音。

语音录制: 大声朗读，应用程序将录制你的声音。通过单击 “收听” 按钮，您可以立即收听您的录音。Pronece 还会向你显示演讲记录，这样你就可以看到你可能发错的单词。

语音反馈: 录制完你的声音后，Pronece 会提供改进建议。此功能可帮助您快速学习如何正确发音。

进度追踪器: Pronce 会跟踪你的进度，这样你就可以知道自己是否在进步。就像演讲教练会为你加油一样，Pronce 也会这样做，甚至更多。目标是让你保持动力，直到你能自信地说话。

结论

句子重音是美式英语的一个复杂但重要的方面。当与语调结合时，它会产生语言的节奏。而且，在困难情况下正确使用句子重音表明你善解人意。如果你仍然觉得很难在句子中强调正确的单词，那就从强调动词开始。使用 Pronece 应用程序录制您的声音，然后不断聆听并尝试直到正确为止。

‍