De acuerdo con etnólogo, en la actualidad se hablan más de 7.000 idiomas en el mundo. Aunque no todos los idiomas tienen vocales y consonantes, hay caracteres que ayudan a los hablantes a denotar palabras y sonidos.

Afortunadamente, el inglés americano tiene vocales y consonantes que ayudan a la comunicación. Además, el acento de las palabras determina cómo el hablante pronuncia cada sílaba de una palabra. Pero cuando las palabras se juntan para formar una oración, el orador pone énfasis en las palabras más importantes del discurso. Esto se conoce como estrés de la oración.

Hacer hincapié en las palabras correctas en una oración es importante para las conversaciones individuales y las interacciones en equipo. Cuando estés en contacto con clientes y compañeros de trabajo, no querrás que te malinterpreten.

En el artículo, analizaremos el estrés de las oraciones y por qué debemos usarlo correctamente, especialmente en el lugar de trabajo. También analizaremos la relación entre la palabra estrés y empatía y cómo crea un espacio hostil o seguro.

¿Por qué es tan importante el estrés de las oraciones?

El estrés de la oración le da sentido a su discurso. Les dice a tus oyentes los aspectos importantes de lo que dices para que puedan prestarles atención. Según su uso, el énfasis de la oración puede cambiar o añadir un significado adicional a tu discurso.

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/

• Escuche a hablantes nativos americanos pasando el rato con ellos, viendo la televisión estadounidense y escuchando programas de radio o podcasts.
• Contrata a un profesor de oratoria.
• Usa un corrector de pronunciación.

Si bien contratar a un entrenador puede resultar caro o llevar mucho tiempo, un corrector de pronunciación ofrece varias funciones y es bastante asequible. Uno de esos verificadores es el Aplicación Pronounce, un asistente de voz con IA.

El uso de la aplicación Pronounce es una forma discreta para que los estudiantes de inglés aprendan a hablar inglés americano con confianza. Para empezar, regístrate en el sitio web con tu cuenta de Google. También puedes instalar la extensión del navegador Chrome en su computadora para grabar conversaciones y escucharlas después.

Características clave de la aplicación Pronounce

Esto es lo que obtendrás de la aplicación Pronounce:

Lea en voz alta: Ya sea que estés leyendo un libro electrónico o navegando por Internet, resalta el texto y Pronounce lo leerá en voz alta. Según tus preferencias, puedes elegir una voz masculina o femenina. Pronounce también es lo suficientemente generoso como para incluir voces en inglés británico, australiano, indio y galés.

Grabación de voz: Lee en voz alta y la aplicación grabará tu voz. Al hacer clic en el botón de escuchar, puedes escuchar tu grabación al instante. Pronounce también te muestra una transcripción de tu discurso para que puedas ver las palabras que hayas pronunciado mal.

Retroalimentación de voz: Después de grabar su voz, Pronounce ofrece sugerencias para mejorar. Esta función le ayuda a aprender rápidamente a pronunciar las palabras correctamente.

Monitor de progreso: Pronounce monitorea tu progreso para que puedas saber si estás mejorando o no. Del mismo modo que un profesor de oratoria te animaría, Pronounce haría lo mismo e incluso más. El objetivo es que te mantengas motivado hasta que puedas hablar con confianza.

Conclusión

El énfasis en las oraciones es un aspecto complejo pero importante del inglés americano. Cuando se combina con la entonación, produce el ritmo del idioma. Y el uso correcto del énfasis de las oraciones en situaciones difíciles demuestra que eres empático. Si aún le resulta difícil acentuar las palabras correctas en una oración, comience por enfatizar los verbos. Graba tu voz con la aplicación Pronounce, luego escucha e inténtalo continuamente hasta que lo hagas bien.

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