Word Stress
Finding the stress within the word
A ready-to-teach B1+/B2 pronunciation lesson on finding the stressed syllable in English words.
Students clap the stress in familiar words, then work through five clear rules: two-syllable nouns and verbs, suffixes that fix the stress, suffixes that carry it, stress that stays stable as words grow (PHO-to-graph, pho-TO-graph-er) and compound nouns. They mark the main stress, sort words into stress patterns, choose the right stress for noun/verb pairs such as record and present, build words up in a back-chaining drill, discuss misunderstandings in pairs and finish with a team stress race.
What's inside
- 16 colourful slides to project, with answer keys straight after each exercise
- Five rules and a one-page word stress bank to keep
- Three exercises: mark the stress, sort by pattern, same spelling with different stress
- Back-chaining drill, pair discussion, team game, summary and homework
Level: B1+ / B2 · Time: 45–60 minutes · Prep: none. Project and teach; you model the sounds yourself, so no audio is needed.
Please note: this is a slides-only lesson, without a separate printable worksheet. It is also part of the Pronunciation Toolkit bundle of 16 lessons.
Licensed to the purchaser for classroom use. Please do not share or resell.
