Fluency, Pronunciation & Accuracy
Section: Speaking | Syllabus: Cambridge Primary English as a Second Language (0057)
Pronouncing Clearly and Using Stress and Intonation
- Clear pronunciation means enunciating word endings and speaking at an even pace, rather than rushing.
- Word stress: in a word with more than one syllable, one syllable is said more strongly than the others, e.g. im-POR-tant, PHO-to-graph. Getting the stress in the right place often makes you easier to understand than getting every single sound perfect.
- Sentence stress: content words (nouns, main verbs, adjectives) are usually stressed more than small grammar words (a, the, is).
- Intonation: your voice usually rises at the end of a yes/no question and falls at the end of a statement - using rising intonation on a statement by mistake can make it sound like a question.
Say the stressed syllable louder and longer than the rest of the word
Worked Example: Placing Word StressQuestion: Say the word "important" aloud. Which syllable should be stressed?
Step 1 - Break the word into syllables: im-por-tant. Step 2 - Identify the stressed syllable as the second one: por. Step 3 - Practise saying it with a slightly longer, louder stress on "por": im-POR-tant. AnswerThe second syllable, "por," should be stressed: im-POR-tant.
Keeping Talking: Hesitation and Reformulation
- Fluency does not mean speaking perfectly and non-stop - skilled speakers use short pause phrases while thinking, rather than stopping altogether.
- Useful hesitation phrases: "um," "well," "let me think," "how can I put this," "what I mean is."
- Reformulation means rephrasing what you started saying if you make a mistake or cannot find the right word, without stopping completely: "She went to the... sorry, I mean she is going to the shop."
- Aim to keep talking and communicate your idea, rather than stopping to search silently for the perfect word.
Using Grammar Accurately While Speaking
- Aim for correct grammar (tense, subject-verb agreement, word order) in most of what you say, but do not let fear of a mistake stop you speaking.
- Occasional small errors (e.g. a wrong preposition, a missed -s ending) usually do not prevent the listener from understanding you - keep going rather than stopping to fix every mistake mid-sentence.
- If you do notice a mistake as you speak, a brief self-correction is fine: "She go... goes to school by bus."
- Focus on getting the overall structure of a sentence right (subject + verb + object, correct tense) rather than worrying about every small detail.
Question: You mean to say "She is going to the shop" but start with the wrong tense. How should you fix it while speaking, without stopping completely?
Step 1 - Notice the mistake as you say it: "She went to the..." Step 2 - Pause briefly and use a reformulation phrase: "sorry, I mean..." Step 3 - Continue with the corrected sentence rather than stopping altogether. Answer"She went to the... sorry, I mean she is going to the shop."
Common Mistakes
MistakeStopping completely and going silent when you cannot find the right word.
FixUse a hesitation phrase like "um" or "let me think" to keep the conversation going while you search for the word.
MistakeRefusing to speak unless every sentence is grammatically perfect.
FixKeep talking through occasional small errors - communicating your idea matters more than perfect grammar in every sentence.
MistakeStressing every syllable equally, e.g. saying "PHO-TO-GRAPH" with no variation.
FixIdentify and stress only the one main syllable in a word, and say the others more lightly and quickly.
Interactive revision notes, videos and practice questions load below.