Pronunciation basics: stress, chunks and endings
Clear speech comes from word stress, pausing in sensible chunks and pronouncing word endings, not from a particular accent.
বাংলায় সারাংশ (Bangla summary)
স্পষ্ট উচ্চারণ নির্ভর করে word stress, যুক্তিসংগত বিরতি এবং শব্দের শেষাংশ উচ্চারণের উপর — কোনো নির্দিষ্ট accent-এর উপর নয়।
By the end of this lesson you can
- Put stress on the right syllable in common IELTS words
- Pause between meaningful chunks, not between every word
- Pronounce -s and -ed endings so grammar is heard
Accent is not the goal; being understood is
IELTS does not reward a British or American accent. The Pronunciation criterion asks how easily the listener understands you and how well you use features like stress, rhythm and intonation.
Three habits make the biggest difference: correct word stress, natural chunking and clear word endings.
Word stress and chunks
Many words change stress when their form changes: PHOtograph, phoTOgraphy, photoGRAPHic; ECOnomy, ecoNOMic. Stressing the wrong syllable can make a word hard to recognise.
Pause between groups of words that belong together: "In my country | most people | live in cities." Pausing after every word sounds hesitant; never pausing makes you hard to follow.
Endings carry grammar
"She work in a bank" and "She works in a bank": the -s is the only sign of correct grammar.
"I visit my aunt" and "I visited my aunt": without the -ed sound, the listener hears the present.
-ed has three sounds: /t/ in walked, /d/ in played, /ɪd/ in wanted.
Guided practice
Where is the main stress?
Practise on your own
Choose the correct -ed sound.
Mini test
Check what you learned. Wrong answers go to your mistake notebook for revision.