In the example 'baNAna', on which syllable is the stress placed?

In the example 'baNAna', on which syllable is the stress placed?

• A. Second
• B. First
• C. Third
• D. Fourth

Answer: (A)

Syllable stress is about which part of a multi-syllable word gets the strongest emphasis when you say it. In English, the stressed syllable sounds louder, longer, and often with a higher pitch. For the word banana, the pronunciation is ba-NA-na, with the middle syllable carrying the emphasis. The IPA form is /bəˈnænə/, showing the primary stress on the second syllable. Since banana has three syllables, the middle one is the only stressed syllable; the first and last are unstressed, and there isn’t a fourth syllable. The capitalization of the stressed syllable here mirrors that emphasis.

Syllable stress is about which part of a multi-syllable word gets the strongest emphasis when you say it. In English, the stressed syllable sounds louder, longer, and often with a higher pitch. For the word banana, the pronunciation is ba-NA-na, with the middle syllable carrying the emphasis. The IPA form is /bəˈnænə/, showing the primary stress on the second syllable. Since banana has three syllables, the middle one is the only stressed syllable; the first and last are unstressed, and there isn’t a fourth syllable. The capitalization of the stressed syllable here mirrors that emphasis.