Abstract
This paper explores the role of stress and rhythm in differentiating meaning in spoken English. As essential components of prosody, stress and rhythm contribute significantly to how speakers organize information and how listeners interpret it. While traditional language teaching often emphasizes grammar and vocabulary, suprasegmental features are frequently neglected, resulting in speech that may be grammatically correct but communicatively ineffective. The aim of this study is to analyze how stress and rhythm function at both the word and sentence levels to influence meaning. The research adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on phonetic analysis and illustrative examples from spoken discourse. The findings indicate that incorrect stress placement can lead to ambiguity or misunderstanding, while appropriate rhythmic patterns enhance fluency and clarity. The study concludes that integrating prosodic features into language instruction is essential for developing communicative competence.