Sentence Stress and Weak Words

English has a beat, like a song. The strong words land on the beat, and the weak words squeeze in between. That's why I want to go comes out close to "I WAN-tə GO". If you give every word the same weight, people still understand you, but you sound slow and a little robotic, and you will find native speakers harder to follow, because they shrink words you're listening for.

Weak forms

These words have two ways to be said. Use the weak one in the middle of a sentence. Use the strong one only when the word is stressed or at the end.

Weak forms in sentences

සිංහලෙන්

• I have to go to work. → I HAVE tə GO tə WORK.to = /tə/
• A cup of tea. → ə CUP əv TEA.of = /əv/
• Rice and curry. → RICE ən CUR-ry.and = /ən/
• Who are you waiting for? → WHO ə you WAIT-ing FOR?for = /fə/ · strong at the end

Can or can't?

This pair causes real misunderstandings. In speech, the t in can't is often hard to hear. The difference is the stress and the vowel:

Listen for the vowel

සිංහලෙන්

• I can come tomorrow. → I kən COME tə-MOR-row.weak /kən/
• I can't come tomorrow. → I CAN'T COME tə-MOR-row.strong /kɑːnt/

Stress to change meaning

Move the stress onto any word to say "this one, not another one".

One sentence, three meanings

සිංහලෙන්

• I ordered kottu. (not you)
• I ordered kottu. (I didn't make it)
• I ordered kottu. (not fried rice)

Quick check

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1. How is to said in I want to go?

   /tuː//tə/

2. In I can come, which word is stressed?

   cancome

3. Which words are strong in a sentence?

   Grammar words like to, of and aContent words like nouns and verbs

4. How is for said in Who is it for?

   Show answer