Lesson Plan

Pronunciation Project

Word Stress – 10-minute lesson plan

Lesson Objectives:

 Students will correctly stress words

Necessary materials:

 Rubber bands
 Word stress handout
 Teacher answer sheet
Task and time Step-by-step Purpose
Present the idea Hand out the rubber bands and “word stress Present the idea.
Hand out materials handout” to the students. Call students’
~2 min Ask them why do I say: I’m going to give you attention to word
a PREsent, but I’m going to preSENT a new stress. Have them
topic. For PREsent (noun), stretch the rubber curious about the
band between your hands on “PRE” and clap topic.
your hands together on “sent”. For preSENT
(verb), clap your hands together on “pre” and
stretch the rubber band between your hands on
“SENT”. Today we will learn how to stress
single words.
Two-syllable nouns, In two-syllable nouns: stress the first Present the rules
Two-syllable syllable. Say the words in their handout, use single word stress.
adjectives your rubber band to show the stressed syllable, Have students
~2 min clap your hands together for unstressed practice some word
syllables. Have your students repeat the words stress using their
and gesture with rubber band. rubber bands.
Do the same for two syllable adjectives.
Two-syllable verbs Explain that the rule is different for verbs. In
~1 min two-syllable verbs: stress the root.
Do the same procedure that you did for
adjectives and nouns with the verbs.
Point out the difference between PREsent and
preSENT.
Words that end in In words that end in -ic, -tion, or -sion:
-ic, -tion, or -sion stress the penultimate (the one before the
~1 min last) syllable (one clap after the stressed
part of the word).
Repeat the procedure. Go over the words in
the handout.
Words that end in In words that end in -cy, -ty, -phy, -gy, -al:
-cy, -ty, -phy, -gy, -al stress the antepenultimate syllable (2 claps
~1 min after the stressed part of the word).
Repeat the procedure. Go over the words in
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Pronunciation Project

the handout.
Numbers that are In numbers that are multiples of ten: stress
multiples of ten the first syllable.
~30 sec Repeat the procedure. Go over the words in
the handout.
Numbers that are In numbers that are not multiples of ten:
not multiples of ten stress the last syllable
~30 sec Repeat the procedure. Go over the words in
the handout.
Production Ask students to turn to the second page of their Have students
~2 min handout and practice in pairs the stress of the perfect the
word list they have. Have them underline the knowledge they
stressed syllables. Go over words that students have just gained.
are having difficulty with.
Lesson Plan
Pronunciation Project

Word Stress Rules

Two-syllable nouns: stress the first syllable

TEAcher MOUNtain BROther MONkey
COOkie CLOset OFFice ENGlish
KEYboard VOLume WINdow TIger
RObot STUdent PICture PAper

Two-syllable adjectives: stress the first syllable

SILly HAPpy CLEver BAsic
YELlow PURple RAPid EAger
FRAgile SEVen SILent FANcy
FRIENDly TALLest HOTter TROPic

Two-syllable verbs: stress the root

WONder FOcus WANted deCIDE
ASKing oBEY Open deMAND
reSIST ROtate SHIver LOcate
WHISper forGET FOLlow THINKing

Words that end in -ic, -tion, or -sion: stress the penultimate (the one before the last)
syllable (one clap after the stressed part of the word)
demoGRAPHic econOMic specIFic acaDEMic
scienTIFic elecTRONic histORic straTEgic
NAtion situAtion creAtion QUEStion
popuLAtion atTENtion adDItion organiZAtion
deCIsion disCUSsion conCLUsion expRESsion

Words that end in -cy, -ty, -phy, -gy, -al: stress the antepenultimate syllable (2 claps after
the stressed part of the word)
POLicy emERgency proFICiency FLUency
uniVERsity commUNity soCIety QUALity
philOsophy geOgraphy caLIgraphy biOLogy
ENergy GENeral MEDical NATural

Numbers that are multiples of ten: stress the first syllable

TWENty THIRty FIFty NINEty

Numbers that are not multiples of ten: stress the last syllable
nineTEEN twenty-FIVE eighty-six fourty-FIVE
Lesson Plan
Pronunciation Project

Exercise Practice

harden haircut international optimistic

message mountain choreography complain
situation conclusion individual repeat
forty eighty-nine policy seventeen
Lesson Plan
Pronunciation Project

Teacher Answer sheet

harden 2 syll. verb (root in first)

haircut compound noun

international end in -al
optimistic end in -ic
choreography end in -phy
message 2 syll. noun
mountain 2 syll. noun
complain 2 syll. verb (root in second)
situation end in -tion
conclusion end in -sion
individual end in -al
repeat 2 syll. verb (root in second)
fourty number that is multiple of 10
eighty-nine number that is not multiple of 10
policy end in -cy
seventeen number that is not multiple of 10