Definition of primary stress in English:
primary stress
nounˌprʌɪm(ə)ri ˈstrɛsˌpraɪˌmɛri ˈstrɛs
Phonetics The strongest accent in a word or breath group.
Compare with secondary stress
Example sentencesExamples
- The unstressed syllables don't matter as long as the number of primary stresses remains constant from line to line.
- To discover where primary stress goes in the words in this exercise, speak each word aloud and place special emphasis on the syllable that you think should be stressed.
- The secondary stress can precede or follow the primary stress, and there need not be an intervening syllable.
- A secondary stress after the primary stress is an unreduced syllable in the tail of the tone group.
Definition of primary stress in US English:
primary stress
nounˌprīˌmerē ˈstresˌpraɪˌmɛri ˈstrɛs
Phonetics The strongest accent in a word or breath group.
Compare with secondary stress
Example sentencesExamples
- A secondary stress after the primary stress is an unreduced syllable in the tail of the tone group.
- The unstressed syllables don't matter as long as the number of primary stresses remains constant from line to line.
- The secondary stress can precede or follow the primary stress, and there need not be an intervening syllable.
- To discover where primary stress goes in the words in this exercise, speak each word aloud and place special emphasis on the syllable that you think should be stressed.