Grade 7 English FAMILY – LISTENING AND SPEAKING:SOUND AND WORD STRESS Notes
LISTENING & SPEAKING: SOUND AND WORD STRESS (Topic: FAMILY)
Age: 12 (Kenyan learners) — Short notes to help you hear and say family words correctly. Word stress means which part (syllable) of a word is said stronger or louder. This helps other people understand you.
Quick rules to remember
- Two‑syllable nouns: usually stress the first syllable (e.g., MOTH‑er, FATH‑er).
- Compound family nouns: stress the first part (e.g., GRAND‑mother, SON‑in‑law).
- Long words: find the main (primary) stress; other syllables are weaker and shorter.
- Connected speech: small words (my, the, a) are often unstressed — focus on the important family word.
Family words — stress shown two ways
We show stress using: CAPS for the stressed syllable: MOTH‑er and also with a simple phonetic mark (ˈ) before the stressed syllable: /ˈmʌðər/.
- MOTH‑er — /ˈmʌðər/ (mother) 👩
- FATH‑er — /ˈfɑːðər/ (father) 👨
- SIS‑ter — /ˈsɪstər/ (sister) 👧
- BROTH‑er — /ˈbrʌðər/ (brother) 👦
- SON — /sʌn/ (son) 👦
- DAUGH‑ter — /ˈdɔːtər/ (daughter) 👧
- GRAND‑MA / GRAND‑MOTHER — /ˈgrændˌmʌðər/ 👵
- GRAND‑PA / GRAND‑FATHER — /ˈgrændˌfɑːðər/ 👴
- COU‑sin — /ˈkʌzən/ (cousin) 👫
- AUNT — /ɑːnt/ or /ænt/ (aunt) 👩🦳
- UN‑cle — /ˈʌŋkəl/ (uncle) 👨🦳
- PAR‑ents — /ˈpɛərənts/ (parents) 👪
- SIB‑lings — /ˈsɪblɪŋz/ (siblings) 👨👩👧
- HUS‑band — /ˈhʌzbənd/ (husband) 🤵
- WIFE — /waɪf/ (wife) 👰
- NEP‑hew — /ˈnɛfjuː/ (nephew) 👶
- NIECE — /niːs/ (niece) 👧
How to practise listening
- Listen for the loud (stressed) syllable — that syllable lasts a little longer and sounds clearer.
- If two people say "my MOTH‑er" and "my moth‑ER", the first is natural for the noun; the second sounds wrong for this type of word.
- Try to hear the stress in short sentences: "This is my GRAND‑mother." → stress on GRAND‑.
Speaking tips (say it aloud)
- Say the stressed syllable a bit louder and longer: MOTH-er (not moth-ER).
- For compound family words, give the first part more stress: GRAND-mother, SON-in-law.
- Use sentence stress to show importance: "My mother is HOME." (stress HOME) — this helps listeners understand what you mean.
- Practice with a partner: one says a sentence, the other repeats and copies the stress.
Short practice activities
1. Circle the stressed part (say it aloud):
a) grandmother → GRAND‑mother
b) nephew → NEP‑hew
c) sister → SIS‑ter
2. Say each sentence, stressing the capital word (repeat 3 times):
- My MOTH-er cooks pilau.
- We visited my GRAND-pa.
- That is my SON-in-law.
3. Listening check (ask a friend): Your friend says a family word. Can you pick which syllable was stressed? Try 5 words and check.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Wrong: saying moth-ER (stress on second syllable). Fix: say MOTH-er and practise repeating the first syllable louder.
- Wrong: giving equal stress to all syllables (sounds flat). Fix: make the stressed syllable longer and slightly louder.
- Wrong: stressing small words (my, the) too much. Fix: keep small words short; make the family word stronger.
Quick reminder: Practice often with a friend or family member. Listening and repeating helps your pronunciation and makes you easier to understand.