14.1: Stress and Rhythm
- Page ID
- 270489
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)In this section, you will learn when to stress certain syllables in a word or a sentence.
Let's get started!
Stress & Rhythm
Stress is the emphasis or prominence given to a certain syllable in a word or to a certain word in a phrase or sentence. That emphasis is usually caused by an increased loudness and vowel length, a more complete articulation of the vowel, or changes in tone. Stress is also sometimes called accentuation. Stress patterns in language create what is called rhythmic accentuation, which is similar to rhythm patterns in music.
English vs. French
Stress Placement
In English, the location of the stress depends on the word. Compare, for example, "involve" vs. "income" (the bold face indicates the syllable that is stressed). The stress is not on the "in-" in the first word, but it is in the second word.
Where you place the stress can change depending on the word. Compare:
record vs. record
present vs. present
These are a type of heteronym, words that are spelled the same by pronounced differently (like live [lIv] vs. live [laiv], or tear [tɛr] vs. tear [tɪr]).
In French, there are not two words that look the same but are pronounced differently. They will sound the same; in fact many words that are spelled differently will still sound the same. For example, vers [vɛʁ] means "towards", vers [vɛʁ] means "worms" and vers [vɛʁ] also means "verse". To make things even more interesting, the words verre, vert also sound exactly the same: [vɛʁ]. Check out this video on how to say: A green worm goes towards a green glass.
In English, stress can also shift within a sentence in order to emphasize or insist upon a certain word. This shift in stress corresponds to a shift in meaning. Compare for example:
What did you do? vs. What did you do?
Why are you talking to her? vs. Why are you talking to her?
In French, the stressed syllable is always the last syllable of a word, phrase or clause, so we don't have the same variation of stress location as in English. For example:
comprends
comprenenons
compréhensible
compréhensibilité
Je vais à la bibliothèque
Je vais étudier à la bibliothèque
In English, there can be various degrees of stress within a word. For example, in the word "deniability" we have two stresses, one (1) stronger than the other (2):
2 1
de.ni.a.bi.li.ty
There can also be variation at the sentence level:
2 3 1
Tell me a story
In French, the last syllable of the word or phrase is usually the only one stressed.
Où tu vas ?
Où vas-tu ?
Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ?
In French there can be some variation with a sentence, though much less so than in English.
In general, English speakers stress syllables more intensely and with more variation in intensity than French speakers. This is largely due to the fact that stress placement is important for meaning (like "record" vs. "record"). However, stressed syllables in French with have a longer vowel than in English.
English is a stress-timed language and French is a syllable-timed language. For example, each of the following two English sentences has a different number of syllables, but all of them have 3 stressed syllables (in bold):
Boys eat cake
The boys eat the cake
The boys can eat the cake
The boys have eaten the cake
The boys will be eating the cake
French, on the other hand is syllable-timed language, meaning that each syllable gets an equal amount of stress, except for the last one.
Les garçons mangent le gâteau
Les garçons ont mangé le gâteau
Les garçons de l'école ont mangé le gâteau
There are still cases in French where stress will not be placed at the end of a sentence or word, for example when you want to insist on a certain point. For example:
La soirée n'est pas ce soir; c'est demain soir. (The party is not tonight; it' tomorrow night)
Let's practice!
Activity A
Listen and repeat.
- [2 syllables] Entrez!, Je sais, C'est moi!, Tu l'as
- [3 syllables] Fantastique!, Choisissez, Je la veux, Il va où?
- [4 syllables] Je vais en France, Tu dînes chez Marc, N'oubliez pas
- [5 syllables] Je ne comprends pas, Nous mangeons ensemble
- [6 syllables] Apportez du fromage, Je ne veux pas mourir
Activity B
Repeat these sentences and place the stress on the final syllable.
1.
L'étudiant (the student)
L'étudiant arrive (the student arrives)
L'étudiant arrivera (the student will arrive)
L'étudiant arrivera à trois heures (the student will arrive at three o'clock)
L'étudiant arrivera à trois heures et demie (the student will arrive at three thirty)
2.
Hélène
Hélène et Paul
Hélène et Paul mangent
Hélène et Paul mangent du pain
Hélène et Paul mangent du pain au café