Word Stress Patterns — Families and Job-Changers
A2 · Word Stress · PHOtograph → phoTOGraphy · a REcord vs to reCORD
Stress MOVES. In word families it jumps as suffixes arrive: PHOtograph, phoTOGraphy, photoGRAphic. And a small group of two-syllable words changes its job with stress: a REcord is a thing; to reCORD is an action. Learn to hear — and place — the moving beat.
Step 1 — Notice
- Families shift: PHOtograph (1st) → phoTOGraphy (2nd) → photoGRAphic (3rd).
- Noun/verb pairs: stress first for the thing, second for the action.
- The unstressed twin vowel relaxes — REcord's first syllable is full; reCORD's is a quick schwa.
- When you learn a long word, learn its stress as part of the word.
Step 2 — Listen
AI-generated American voice. Natural first, then slow. Listen as many times as you need.
photograph
PHO-to-graph — stress 1.
photography
pho-TO-gra-phy — stress 2. The beat moved!
It's a new record.
RE-cord — the thing. Stress first.
Please record the lesson.
re-CORD — the action. Stress second.
Stress Training — Where Is the Stress?
Listen, then tap the stressed syllable or word. Green means you found the beat.
Step 4 — Repeat & Record
Say each model out loud, right after the voice. Then record yourself saying the target line: photograph
Record yourself, play it back, and compare with the model. Recordings stay in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Step 5 — Compare & Self-Check
Play your recording from Step 4. Then play the model again. No scores — just honest ears. Tick what you truly did:
Step 6 — Shadow
The text starts hidden. Listen first, then reveal it, then speak with the voice — same rhythm, half a second behind.
Photography is my favorite hobby.
Practice Quiz
Keep going
🇺🇸 Real American Listening — hear it in real conversation🎙️ Speaking Studio — use your voice in dialogues🌱 Vocabulary Builder — words with pronunciation🔗 Phrasal Verbs Lab📚 Graded Stories — shadow a story← Previous lesson · A2 — all lessons · Next: Can vs Can't — Stress Carries the Meaning →
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