ESL 1021

MOVEMENT OF STRESS/ PRACTICE WITH NUMBERS

Listen

Notice that when the number is a multiple of ten, the stress is at the beginning of the word, such as in:

Twentieth

Thirtieth

Fortieth

Fiftieth

Sixtieth

Seventieth

Eightieth

Ninetieth

Notice that when the number is not a multiple of ten, the stress falls on the second part of the word, such as in:

Twenty-eighth

Thirty-ninth

Forty-fifth

Fifty-sixth

Sixty-eighth

Seventy-third

Eighty-eighth

Ninety-fourth

Therefore, the difference between TWENTIETH and TWENTY-EIGHTH is very much about the appropriate stress pattern.

With multiples of ten, notice that the “t” in the words often changes to a “d” sound because “t” is surrounded by voiced sounds and is affected by that voicing. Therefore, it is easier to make “t” voiced, as well, when you are speaking quickly. Also, with these multiple of ten, the stress falls on the first syllable.

twenty – sounds like “twenny”

thirty – sounds like “thirdy”

forty – sounds like “fordy”

fifty – “t” stays the same because “f” is voiceless

sixty – “t” stays the same because “ks” is voiceless

seventy – sounds like “sevendy”

eighty – sounds like “eighdy”

ninety – sounds like “ninedy”

Notice what happens with numbers in the “teens.” The stress falls on the second syllable of the word. Also, when you say these words, the “t” in “teen” sounds like a “t.”

thirteen

fourteen

fifteen

sixteen

seventeen

eighteen

nineteen

Now, practice this reading using the numbers:

Listen

Last year, the city of Thunderhead, Michigan had a contest to see who could run around the perimeter of the city in the shortest time. There were two groups competing in the race -- one group of men and one group of women.

In the men’s group, there were seventy contestants. Twenty-two of those contestants were eighteen and nineteen years old. Forty-one of those contestants were between twenty and forty-five years old. The remaining seven contestants were over forty-five.

When the race ended, the results were astonishing. The first-place winner was a Thunderhead resident who was seventy-two years old. The contestants who came in sixty-eighth place, sixty-ninth place, and seventieth place in the race were eighteen- and nineteen-year-old boys. I guess this race proved that health is more important than age when it comes to being physically fit.