kielipainotus

Kielipainotus refers to the phenomenon of stress or emphasis placed on certain syllables within a word or words within a sentence in spoken language. This linguistic feature can significantly affect the meaning and comprehension of utterances. In many languages, including Finnish, stress is not as prominent as in others, and its presence can be more subtle.

When referring to word stress, kielipainotus indicates which syllable is pronounced with greater force, duration, or higher pitch. This can distinguish between homographs, words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and pronunciations, such as in English 'record' (noun) versus 'record' (verb). While Finnish has a generally consistent stress pattern, often falling on the first syllable, exceptions and nuances exist.

Beyond individual words, kielipainotus can also apply to sentence-level stress. This is the emphasis given to particular words in a sentence to highlight their importance or to convey a specific message or emotion. For instance, in the sentence "I did not say he stole the money," stressing "I" implies that *you* did not say it, while stressing "stole" implies that he did something else, not stealing. This type of emphasis is crucial for natural-sounding speech and for conveying intended meaning in communication. The precise rules and impact of kielipainotus vary across languages and dialects.