Research on the Impact of Word Stress on the Vowel System of English
Yilin Yang · Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media · 2025
Word stress is a fundamental aspect of English pronunciation that significantly influences comprehension in spoken communication. Despite its importance, many Chinese English learners find it hard to master the nuanced patterns of stress that distinguish stressed from unstressed syllables, particularly regarding vowel production, a topic studied by few researchers. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of word stress on the vowel system of English through an experimental analysis. Twenty disyllabic words with one stressed and one unstressed syllable were analyzed. Using auditory analysis software, the production of stressed and unstressed vowels by both native and non-native speakers was recorded, analyzed and then compared. Results indicate that native speakers produce stressed vowels with greater intensity and duration than unstressed vowels, while non-native speakers show less distinct differences.