SENTENCE STRESS AS A COMPONENT OF ENGLISH INTONATION

Abstract

This article examines sentence stress as a fundamental component of English intonation and its role in shaping meaning in spoken communication. The study explores the phonetic and phonological nature of sentence stress, emphasizing its interaction with pitch, rhythm, and intonation patterns. Special attention is given to the distinction between content and function words, as well as the principles governing stress placement in English sentences.

The paper further analyzes different types of sentence stress, including nuclear, contrastive, emphatic, and informational stress, illustrating how shifts in stress can lead to significant variations in meaning. In addition, the communicative functions of sentence stress are discussed, highlighting its role in emphasizing important information, expressing speaker attitude, and improving clarity in discourse.

The article also addresses common challenges faced by learners of English as a foreign language and proposes effective teaching strategies to improve stress awareness and pronunciation skills. The findings suggest that mastering sentence stress is essential for achieving natural and effective communication in English.