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  • (upbeat music playing)

  • Hi. My name is Sammy, and I like to practice American English.

  • Today, we'll discuss how stressing different words can change the meaning of a sentence.

  • Learning to use stress will help you communicate more clearly in American English.

  • Do you notice that these sentences are the same, but they have different meanings?

  • Sammy is wearing a blue jacket. (emphasis on "Sammy")

  • So that means no one else is wearing a blue jacket.

  • Sammy is wearing a blue jacket. (emphasis on "blue")

  • So she's not wearing any other color jackets like a green jacket or a red jacket but a blue jacket.

  • Sammy is wearing a blue jacket. (emphasis on "jacket")

  • She's not wearing anything else that's blue just the jacket is blue.

  • By exaggerating a certain word you can show that it's important and put focus on that word over any possible alternatives.

  • In American English, we can change the meaning of a sentence by changing which word is stressed.

  • How does this work? You add stress to the word that you want to focus on.

  • This means you will pronounce that word louder, longer, and stronger than the rest of the words in the sentence.

  • Here's a tip: don't be afraid to exaggerate the stress even if it feels weird to you.

  • The sentence will still sound natural to native English speakers because the stress adds meaning to the sentence.

  • For example, one sentence can have many different meanings based on which word you stress.

  • I don't like pepperoni pizza (emphasis on "I") means maybe someone else likes it, just not you.

  • I don't like pepperoni pizza (emphasis on "don't") emphasizes that this is really something you don't like.

  • I don't like pepperoni pizza (emphasis on "like") means maybe you have a different feeling towards it, maybe you love pepperoni pizza or you hate pepperoni pizza.

  • I don't like pepperoni pizza. (emphasis on "pepperoni")

  • Maybe this means you like a different type of pizza just not pepperoni.

  • I don't like pepperoni pizza. (emphasis on "pizza")

  • So this can mean you like other types of pepperoni foods just not pizza with pepperoni on it.

  • Let's practice. In the following exercises you will get a scenario.

  • Pronounce the given sentence and add stress on the word you want to emphasize.

  • Your friend wants to go to the movies before dinner but you want to go at a different time.

  • Which word should you stress in the following sentence?

  • Pause here to practice and press play when you're ready to hear the answer.

  • Since you want to stress when you want to go to the movies, add stress to the word "after."

  • Let's go to the movies after dinner. (emphasis on "after")

  • Now, your friend wants to go to the movies after lunch,

  • but you think it would be better to go after a different meal.

  • Which word should you use stress?

  • Since you want to stress which meal you leave after, add stress to "dinner."

  • Let's go to the movies after dinner. (emphasis on "dinner")

  • Your friend wants to go bowling after dinner, but you want to do a different activity instead.

  • Which words should you stress?

  • Since you want to stress the activity you do, add stress to the movies.

  • Let's go to the movies after dinner. (emphasis on "the movies")

  • (upbeat music playing)

  • That's it for now, but keep on practicing.

  • This is American English, and thanks for watching.

(upbeat music playing)

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