Pronunciation: Thought Groups

What are thought groups?

When we talk, we do not separate every word. This is difficult to understand. We join several words together to form a complete idea. One idea is a thought group.


Here's an example. ( / ) is used to separate thought groups. ( / ) is for a pause or a short stop. At the end of the sentence ( // ) is used. ( // ) is for a longer pause or full stop.

Yesterday, / I went swimming / with my friends / at the community centre. //


Why are thought groups important?

• It is easier for people to understand you when you speak.
• It is easier to hear people when you listen.
• Thinking in thought groups improves your reading speed and comprehension as well.

How to use thought groups?

Thought groups are part of the rhythm of the language. The last word in each thought group is stressed. To stress a word, you must say it louder, longer and clearer. Here's the example sentence again with the stressed words in colour.

Yesterday, / I went swimming / with my friends / at the community centre. //

Pausing and stressing are just part of the natural rhythm of the language, but they help a lot.


Would you like to learn more about pausing and thought groups?

Watch the video below to understand when to pause and how to group words. Remember, thought groups can improve your listening, speaking and reading comprehension.