Stress and rhythm of an English sentence

This tool splits an English sentence into thought groups and shows which word in each of them carries the main stress. Content words are raised, function words are dimmed and labelled with their weak forms — the way they really sound in connected speech. Any word can be made the focus so you hear how the meaning shifts, and you can record your own reading and compare the rhythm.

How to analyse sentence stress

1
Type a sentence

Enter your own phrase, or load one of the ready examples with a single click.

2
Read the analysis

The largest word carries the main stress; the dots underneath show the rhythm.

3
Listen and repeat

Press Play, then record yourself and compare the two rhythm rows.

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Find out which word in the phrase is the important one

The rhythm strip will appear here.
◉ main stress of the group ● content word — stressed ● function word — quick ┊ thought group ↘↗ where the voice goes

This shows the typical, neutral stress pattern. In real speech you can stress any word for emphasis or contrast.

Record yourself and compare the rhythm

This is a picture of your rhythm, not a pronunciation score. The upper row is where the beats fall in the neutral reading; the lower one is the loudness of what you said.

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Features

Main stress of the phrase
Thought groups
Weak forms with transcription
Contrastive stress on click
Record and compare rhythm
Metronome for reading aloud

What you can do

  • See the main stress of every thought group
  • Learn the weak forms of function words: to → /tə/, of → /əv/, and → /ən/
  • Move the stress to any word and hear the new meaning
  • Notice where a weak form is impossible: at the end and before a pause
  • Record your own reading and compare its rhythm with the model
  • Read aloud to a metronome and keep an even beat

Why the main stress matters more than individual sounds

English is stress-timed: stressed syllables arrive at roughly even intervals and everything between them is squeezed. But splitting words into content and function is only half the story. Each thought group has ONE word that carries the main stress, and that word is what tells a listener what matters here. "I never said she stole my money" means six different things depending on which word you accent. The tool shows the neutral reading — the main stress on the last content word of the group, with the two exceptions every pronunciation course teaches — and lets you move it anywhere and hear the difference.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main stress of a phrase?

It is the one word in a thought group that takes the strongest accent. In the analysis it is the largest word, marked ◉.

What is a thought group?

A stretch of speech said in one breath. Its edges usually line up with punctuation; in the analysis they are separated by a dotted divider, and each group has its own main stress.

What is a weak form?

The reduced pronunciation a function word takes when unstressed: to sounds like /tə/, of like /əv/. At the end of a phrase and before a pause there is no weak form — the tool tells those positions apart.

Can I move the stress to another word?

Yes, that is the point. Click any word to make it the focus and the phrase is spoken with that accent. Click it again to return to the neutral reading.

Is the recording a pronunciation score?

No. It is a picture of rhythm: the upper row is where the beats belong, the lower one is the loudness of what you said. Two things are compared — how many strong beats you produced, and whether the loudest landed on the main stress.

Is the recording sent anywhere?

Processing happens in your browser through the platform’s own recording and audio-analysis features; the microphone starts only when you press the button and stops the moment you finish.

Is the stress pattern always the same?

No. What you see is the typical, neutral pattern. In real speech any word can be singled out for contrast, and that overrides the default.

Who is this tool for?

Learners working on fluency and intonation, and teachers explaining rhythm and weak forms.

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