Fifth-Grade Students' Accuracy in English Word Stress at SDs 117 Islam Terpadu Adnani

Abstract

Word stress is an important suprasegmental feature because inaccurate stress placement can reduce the clarity of spoken English. This study examined fifth-grade students' accuracy in pronouncing English word stress at SDs 117 Islam Terpadu Adnani and identified the factors associated with their performance. A descriptive qualitative design was employed with 25 students from one fifth-grade class. Data were obtained through classroom observation, semi-structured interviews, audio-video documentation, and a pronunciation task containing 20 words. Each production was categorized as accurate, inaccurate, or unclear and was interpreted through the distinction between pronunciation accuracy and intelligibility. The findings showed that familiar words with simpler stress patterns, including table, bottle, travel, window, garden, and pencil, were pronounced accurately by all students. In contrast, because, triangle, together, and between produced the greatest difficulty. Limited exposure to accurate models, complex stress patterns, first-language influence, confidence, and classroom engagement affected performance. The study implies that elementary pronunciation instruction should combine explicit stress practice, repeated modeling, contextualized production, and individualized feedback.