Stress, Rhythm, and Intonation: The Secret to Sounding Natural in English
Even with perfect grammar, English can sound unnatural if your intonation and rhythm are off. English is a stress-timed language, which means some words are stressed while others are quickly reduced. For example, in the sentence “I want to go to the market,” the words want and market receive the stress, while to and the are softer and faster.
Intonation — the rise and fall of your voice — also changes meaning. Saying “You’re coming?” with rising intonation sounds like a question, but with falling intonation, it sounds like confirmation. Rhythm and stress help listeners understand your emotions and intentions.
Practice by mimicking native speakers from movies or audiobooks. Focus on melody, not just words. You can even tap your fingers to the beat of each sentence to feel the rhythm.
Pro Tip: Record yourself reading a short dialogue. Compare your intonation with native audio to adjust your speech flow naturally.