Page 28 - Basic Japanese

want to pay close attention to the slight differences

between even those sounds that are most alike in the two
languages.

1.2. Rhythm

English is spoken in a SYNCOPATED fashion—we bounce
along, rushing syllables in between heavy stresses, keeping

an irregular rhythm and tempo based on our stress system.
Each normal English syllable is spoken with one of four

stresses—and there’s even an extra one, especially loud, to
show unusual emphasis. If you listen to the word windshield

wiper you will notice that the first syllable (‘wind-’) is more
heavily pronounced than the others; the last syllable (‘-er’)

is the weakest; and for some speakers there is a difference
in stress between the remaining syllables (‘-shield-’ and ‘-
wipe-’). Those Americans who hear no difference in stress

between ‘-shield-’ and ‘-wipe-’ may hear the somewhat
stronger stress on the syllable ‘new’ in the phrase “a new

windshield wiper” (with the strongest stress still on the
syllable ‘wind-’).