American Rhythm • Sentence Stress
Content vs. Function Words
If your grammar is perfect but people still struggle to understand you,
this is usually the reason.
English isn’t spoken word-by-word. It’s spoken in rhythm.
Meaning words carry the beat. Grammar words shrink.
1
Find the CONTENT word.2
Make function words short and compact.3
Let the strong word stand out with pitch and clarity.▶ Watch this 4:37 breakdown before doing the drills below.
Two-word rhythm drills (weak → STRONG)
Compress the small word. Let the strong word carry the beat.
1
i'm READY
2
i'm FINE
3
i'm TIRED
4
i'm BUSY
5
you're RIGHT
6
he's HUNGRY
7
she's HAPPY
8
we're DONE
9
it's BROKEN
10
no PROBLEM
Three-word drills (weak → weak → STRONG)
More compression. Same beat.
Rule: Make function words as short and compact as possible. The smaller they are, the easier it is for the content word to stand out.
