Word Stress and Lists American English Pronunciation
In this American English pronunciation video,
we’re going to go over word stress and intonation
in lists.
The rule for stress and intonation in lists
is easy. Each item goes up in pitch until
the final item, which goes down in pitch.
Let’s look at an example. I’m driving you,
Dan, and Cindy to the party. So here, we’re
listing three things, three people: you, up
in pitch; Dan, up in pitch; and Cindy, down
in pitch. Up, up, down. I’m driving you, Dan,
and Cindy to the party.
It’s easy, right? Let’s look at a few more
examples. You can have cereal, pancakes, or
oatmeal. Cereal, pancakes, or oatmeal. Up, up,
down. You can have cereal, pancakes, or oatmeal.
My mom, dad, little sister, and grandma are
visiting next week. My mom, dad, little sister,
and grandma are visiting next week. Up, up,
up, down.
I dusted, vacuumed, and straightened the living
room. Dusted, vacuumed and straightened. Up,
up, down.
She just got back from a trip to Spain, Portugal,
and France. Spain, Portugal, and France. Up,
up, down.
Now, that’s not hard, is it? Intoning lists
this way, along with leaving a small pause
for the commas, will make you easier to understand.
That’s it, and thanks so much
for using Rachel’s English.
Don’t stop there. Have fun with my real-life
English videos. Or get more comfortable with
the IPA in this play list. Learn about the online
courses I offer, or check out my latest video.