Sound Systems, Stress and Accent · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Training the sounds that give you away

Languages · Sounds & Conversation · ages 14-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. How do you find the beats in a long word?

    • Count the letters with your eyes
    • Clap once per vowel sound
    • Guess from the spelling

  2. Endings keep vanishing when you speak. What should you do?

    • Slow down and shape each sound fully
    • Speak faster to hide the gaps
    • Whisper so nobody notices

  3. A stressed beat is louder and longer than its neighbours.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. How do you check whether a tricky sound is yours yet?

    • Ask friends to stop listening
    • Avoid every word with that sound
    • Record yourself and compare with a native speaker

  5. Fast speech blurs word borders. What should you listen for?

    • Single dictionary words
    • Whole phrases at once
    • Only the first sounds

  6. Shadowing means repeating a line half a second behind a native speaker.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. You stress the wrong beat and a listener hears a different word. What does that show?

    • Stress can change meaning
    • Vowels do not matter
    • Speed fixes everything

  8. Listeners keep missing two of your sounds. What is the smartest plan?

    • Drill every sound equally once a week
    • Drill those two sounds in short daily bursts
    • Stop speaking until they improve alone
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_dGUiCiHhEP-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Training the sounds that give you away W1-mt_dGUiCiHhEP-s1

  1. Clap once per vowel sound · Each beat holds one vowel sound, so clapping finds every beat.
  2. Slow down and shape each sound fully · Clear speech starts with the mouth. Full shapes beat swallowed endings.
  3. True · Stress is the louder longer beat beside its softer neighbours.
  4. Record yourself and compare with a native speaker · Two clips side by side show the gap your mirror cannot.
  5. Whole phrases at once · Melted borders hide single words. Phrases survive the melting.
  6. True · Half a second behind, copying rhythm and stress: that is shadowing.
  7. Stress can change meaning · The wrong stressed beat can turn one word into another. Stress carries meaning.
  8. Drill those two sounds in short daily bursts · A few targeted changes buy more than general practice. Drill the noticed pair.
Worksheet · LightMySky