Understanding Emphatic Stress

What is Emphatic Stress?

Emphatic stress is used in speech to highlight a particular word in a sentence, giving it more importance. This can change the meaning or focus of the sentence.

For example:

• "I didn't say he stole the money." (Someone else said it.)
• "I didn't say he stole the money." (Someone else stole it.)
• "I didn't say he stole the money." (He might have borrowed it.)

How to Identify Emphatic Stress

• Listen for Changes: The stressed word is often louder, longer, or higher in pitch.
• Context Clues: The context of the conversation can help determine which word is stressed.
• Speaker's Intent: Consider what the speaker is trying to emphasize or clarify.

Why Use Emphatic Stress?

• Clarification: Helps to clarify the speaker's intent or meaning.
• Emphasis: Highlights important information in a sentence.
• Contrast: Shows contrast between different ideas or elements.

Examples of Emphatic Stress

Consider the sentence: "She can sing beautifully."

• If the emphasis is on "she", it implies that she, not someone else, can sing beautifully.
• If the emphasis is on "can", it implies that she is indeed able to sing beautifully, perhaps contrary to what others think.
• If the emphasis is on "beautifully", it highlights the quality of her singing.