Lesson 1
Study Sounding Better, chapter 9-11:
Chapter 9: Strong, weak and contracted forms
Chapter 10: Fluency forms
Chapter 11: Word stress
Sounding better
Chapter 9 – Strong, weak and contracted forms (page 82)
1) Grammar words: they are stressed or unstressed
2) A word can become stressed and unstressed depending on the place in the sentence.
For example with to.
Strong form: /tu:/
Before a vowel (starting word) /tʊ/
Before a consonant (starting word) /tə/
3) You use weak forms more frequent than the strong forms
4) Dutch also has weak forms
5) Words are also constracted: it+is --> it's. /ɪt ɪz/--> ɪts
6) Weak forms revert to strong at the end of the sentence. Example:
I can (/kən/) do it
I'll do it if I can (/kæn/)
7) Just look at the table on page 83-86.
Just making the weak form habit will make you sound more fluent.
Chapter 10 – Fluency forms (page 88)
Assimilation: sounds alter to make them more similar to sounds next to them. --> zijn broer --
> zem brioer
Elusion: when sounds disappear altogether (postkantoor --> poskantoor
Untill page 96 full of examples, look at that.
Chapter 11 – Word stress
Wordstress is very important so that is why we give you some rules of thumb.
But know: there are exceptions.
Word stress in simple words (page 97)
Two/three syllables? Then stress the first syllable.
Longer words: antepenultimate syllable (three syllables from the end). Antepe'n
ultimate, me'chanical, en'couragement
Prefices and suffixes: the syllable following the prefix
is stressed. Dis'arm, re'turn.
Rest you should read
Study Sounding Better, chapter 9-11:
Chapter 9: Strong, weak and contracted forms
Chapter 10: Fluency forms
Chapter 11: Word stress
Sounding better
Chapter 9 – Strong, weak and contracted forms (page 82)
1) Grammar words: they are stressed or unstressed
2) A word can become stressed and unstressed depending on the place in the sentence.
For example with to.
Strong form: /tu:/
Before a vowel (starting word) /tʊ/
Before a consonant (starting word) /tə/
3) You use weak forms more frequent than the strong forms
4) Dutch also has weak forms
5) Words are also constracted: it+is --> it's. /ɪt ɪz/--> ɪts
6) Weak forms revert to strong at the end of the sentence. Example:
I can (/kən/) do it
I'll do it if I can (/kæn/)
7) Just look at the table on page 83-86.
Just making the weak form habit will make you sound more fluent.
Chapter 10 – Fluency forms (page 88)
Assimilation: sounds alter to make them more similar to sounds next to them. --> zijn broer --
> zem brioer
Elusion: when sounds disappear altogether (postkantoor --> poskantoor
Untill page 96 full of examples, look at that.
Chapter 11 – Word stress
Wordstress is very important so that is why we give you some rules of thumb.
But know: there are exceptions.
Word stress in simple words (page 97)
Two/three syllables? Then stress the first syllable.
Longer words: antepenultimate syllable (three syllables from the end). Antepe'n
ultimate, me'chanical, en'couragement
Prefices and suffixes: the syllable following the prefix
is stressed. Dis'arm, re'turn.
Rest you should read
