Stress

Syllables in English words don't all have the same level of loudness. Some are loud, some are short and quiet, some are in between. English has three levels of stress:

Examples:

ˈnʌf]     enough
[ˌmænəˈtobə]     Manitoba
[ˈfotəˌɡɹæf]     photograph

A good example of the difference between secondary stress and the complete absence of stress is the final syllable of delegate, used as a verb and used as a noun.

[ˈdɛləˌɡet]     verb: You have to delegate your responsibilities
[ˈdɛləɡət]     noun: We elected a delegate to the national committee.

 

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