Weddings 2Syllable Words Stress in American English
In this American English pronunciation video,
you’re going to join me at my friend’s wedding
on a beautiful farm, and study the pronunciation
of the word ‘wedding’ and other two-syllable words.
Today I’m at the wedding of one of my very
best friends. Her name is Laura, and you have
seen her previously in the video where we
made a pumpkin pie. The word ‘wedding’. It’s
a two-syllable word, so we have one stressed,
and one unstressed syllable. The word begins
with the W consonant sound, so the lips will
come into a tight circle for that. Then the
jaw has to drop a good bit for that EH as
in BED vowel. We-, we-. Then we have the D
consonant sound opening up into the ING. Now,
that’s the unstressed syllable, so it’s going
to be lower in pitch, pretty quick: -ding,
-ding, -ding. So, the tongue tip starts here
for the D, quickly comes down for the IH,
and then the back of the tongue makes contact
here for the NG. Make sure the tip of the
tongue does not come back up, that would be
an N ending. Common mistake. We want the NG
back here. Wedding wedding.
Every 2-syllable word in American English
will have one stressed and one unstressed
syllable. So, one will be longer and have
shape in the voice, and the other will be
short and flat, and low in pitch. To make
both syllables the same length is not correct
and ignores the rhythmic structure of American
English. Speaking with an American rhythm
is key to sounding natural. Wedding. There
I’ve made both syllables the same length,
and all the sounds are correct—wedding—even
so, it will not sound right because it does
not have the correct rhythmic structure of
one long and one short syllable. Wedding.
Long-short. Wedding. Let’s study more two-syllable
words.
Today I’m at the wedding of one of my very
best friends. Her name is Laura, and you have
seen her previously in the video where we
made a pumpkin pie.
Here, we have several 2-syllable words. Today.
Stress on the second syllable, so the first
must be very short. To-, to-, to-day, -day,
today. Listen again.
Today I’m at the wedding… [3x]
Today I’m at the wedding
of one of my very best friends.
Very: stress on the first syllable. So, the
second syllable is very short
and flat: -y, -y, -y, ver-y, ver-y, very,
very. Listen again.
…of one of my very best friends. [3x]
…of one of my very best friends.
Her name is Laura.
Laura, stress on the first syllable.
Laur-a, Laur-a, Laura.
Her name is Laura. [3x]
Her name is Laura, and you have seen her previously
in the video where we made a pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin. Stress on the first syllable. Pump-kin,
pump-kin. Pumpkin, pumpkin. Listen again.
A pumpkin pie. [3x]
So this is my good friend Liz, also here for
the wedding. Hey Liz!
Hi, hi, hi friends.
Also: stress on the first syllable. Al-so,
al-so, also, also.
Also here for the wedding. [3x]
…also here for the wedding. Hey Liz!
Hi, hi, hi friends.
Liz came in from Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh, a great city in Pennsylvania.
Stress is, again, on the first syllable. Pitts-burgh,
Pitts-burgh. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.
…came in from Pittsburgh. [3x]
…came in from Pittsburgh. Now, Liz, tell
me how you know Laura.
Um, Laura is a college friend of mine.
College: stress is on the first syllable.
Coll-ege, coll-ege, college, college.
Is a college friend of mine. [3x]
Laura is a college friend of mine, so I
met her freshman year, first year of college,
when I met you, as well.
Freshman, stress on the first syllable. Fresh-man,
fresh-man. Freshman.
Freshman year, first year… [3x]
Freshman year, first year of college, when
I met you, as well.
Right, but didn’t you meet her because
of a specific activity?
Yes. Laura and I played tennis together.
Tennis. Stress on the first syllable. Ten-nis,
ten-nis, tennis, tennis.
Laura and I played tennis together. [3x]
Laura and I played tennis together.
Yes.
Yes we did. Um, and, uh, were we doubles
partners? I don’t think we were ever doubles
partners.
‘Doubles’ and ‘partners’. In both of these
words, stress is on the first syllable. Dou-bles,
dou-bles, doubles. Partners. Part-ners, part-ners.
Partners. Doubles partners.
Doubles partners. [3x]
Weddings are good for holding babies.
Holding and babies. Again, first syllables
are stressed in both of these words. Hold-ing,
hold-ing, bab-ies, bab-ies, holding babies.
Listen again.
…for holding babies. [3x]
This is brother-in-law of the bride. What
do you have on your plate there?
Peach pie and vanilla ice cream.
That sounds delicious. How is it?
It’s, it’s delicious, it’s a wonderful
combination, complements each other …
Just like Laura and Mark.
Just like Laura and Mark.
There we go.
Yes.
Speaking of Laura and Mark, traditionally
at weddings, the bride and groom will have
a first dance alone together.
Well, guys, thanks so much for letting
me use my video camera here at your wedding,
and sharing your special day, document it
for the Rachel’s English community!
That’s it, and thanks so much
for using Rachel’s English.