Word stress
Identify which syllable carries primary stress in a multisyllable word.
Word stress is hearing which syllable carries the beat in a multisyllable word — PHO-to-graph, pho-TOG-ra-phy — and it matters for two reasons: unstressed syllables reduce to schwa, which explains most of the vowel spelling errors in Grades 3 to 6, and reading with the right stress is what makes decoding sound like speech. It is rarely taught explicitly, which is why children who decode accurately can still read multisyllable words in a flat, wrong-sounding way. Errors: stressing the first syllable of everything, or hearing no difference at all. Humming the word, or saying it loudly on each syllable in turn, makes the stressed one obvious. These worksheets mark and sort by stress; the Stress Match game says the word and asks which syllable was loudest.
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Games that practise it
Teacher FAQ
What is word stress?
The syllable said louder and longer: RAB-bit, ba-NA-na. English words of two or more syllables always have one.
Why does stress matter for spelling?
Unstressed syllables shrink to schwa, an 'uh' sound that can be spelled with any vowel. Knowing which syllable is unstressed explains why 'lemon' ends in -on, not -un.
How can a child hear the stress?
Hum the word, or say it with the volume turned up on each syllable in turn. The right one sounds natural; the wrong ones sound foreign.