The Analysis of University Studrnts' Mastery of English Word Stress in Pronunciation Practice

Septa Aryanika

Abstract


Word stress is an important suprasegmental feature that contributes to speech intelligibility and effective communication in English. However, many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners experience difficulties in producing accurate stress patterns, particularly in multisyllabic words. This study aimed to analyze university students’ mastery of English word stress in pronunciation practice and identify common stress-placement errors. A quantitative research design was employed involving students of the English Education Study Program at UIN Raden Intan Lampung. Data were collected through pronunciation tasks and audio-recorded documentation and analyzed by comparing students’ pronunciation with standard stress patterns based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The findings revealed that students frequently misplaced stress, particularly in three-syllable words, which accounted for 55% of the total errors, followed by four-syllable words (28%) and two-syllable words (22%). The results indicate that syllabic complexity and limited phonological awareness significantly affected students’ pronunciation performance. Therefore, explicit instruction and systematic practice of English word stress are recommended to improve learners’ pronunciation accuracy and communicative competence

Keywords


word stress, pronunciation, EFL learners, phonological awareness, pronunciation practice.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.15548/rielt.v1i1.14766

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Ruang Jurnal Program Studi Tadris Bahasa Inggris
Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan
Universitas Islam Negeri Imam Bonjol Padang
email: [email protected]

 

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