Pronunciation insight 5

Stress in compound nouns
When we put two words together, they are called compound nouns. For compound nouns, the stress is on the first word.
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swimming + pool = swimming pool

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chocolate + cake = chocolate cake

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ice + cream = ice cream
1Match the words to make names for places in a town. Play the recording, listen and check your answers. Then listen and repeat. 

train

leisure

police

bus

shopping

football

swimming

clothes

  • station
  • centre
  • station
  • stop
  • centre
  • stadium
  • pool
  • shop
Try again
Stress in compound nouns
When we put two words together, they are called compound nouns. For compound nouns, the stress is on the first word.
○
swimming + pool = swimming pool

○
chocolate + cake = chocolate cake

○
ice + cream = ice cream
2Complete the pairs of compound nouns with the words in the box. Then play the recording, listen and check. 
  • room
  • station
  • book
  • ball

  • 1bathroom

    bed

  • 2trainstation

    bus

  • 3textbook

    exercise

  • 4football

    volley


Try again
Stress in quantities
We don’t stress of in quantities. We pronounce it /əv/ and we link it to the final consonant sound of the word before.
  a bottle of water
3Choose the correct words. Then play the recording, listen and check. Pay attention to the pronunciation of of. 

  • 1a loaf of bread

  • 2a bottle of milk

  • 3a carton of milk

  • 4a slice of pizza

  • 5a can of cola

  • 6a tin of tomatoes

  • 7a jar of coffee

  • 8a packet of crisps

  • 9a kilo of apples

  • 10a litre of milk


4Practise saying the food quantities in exercise 3 with the correct pronunciation and linking of of. 
Try again