* Most one-syllable words are stressed in isolation. Say "cat" or "book" - the emphasis naturally falls on that single syllable.
* In a sentence, one-syllable words can be unstressed. Consider these examples:
* "The *cat* sat on the *mat*." Both "cat" and "mat" are stressed.
* "I *saw* the *cat*." Both "saw" and "cat" are stressed.
* "I *went* to the *store*." Both "went" and "store" are stressed.
* "I *have* a *cat*." Here, "have" is unstressed, while "cat" is stressed.
The Key: Stress depends on the importance of a word in a sentence and its relationship to other words.
* Content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) are usually stressed.
* Function words (prepositions, articles, pronouns, conjunctions) are often unstressed.
So, a one-syllable word can be either stressed or unstressed. The key is to consider its role within the sentence.