emphasis

Everyday

1. Special importance or attention given to something: «The school puts emphasis on reading». tree →
2. Extra force given to a word or syllable when speaking, to show it matters: «Put the emphasis on "not"». tree →
3. In writing, a way of showing importance, such as bold or italic print. tree →
4. Emphasis can also mean a strong, forceful way of doing something, not only speaking. tree →

In the lessons

In English: emphasis in speaking (stress) and writing (bold, italics, underlining, capital letters, exclamation marks). In school life: the emphasis of a lesson is its main point. Phrases: «put/place emphasis on», «with emphasis», «a strong emphasis», «the emphasis is on».

Examples

• Our coach puts a lot of emphasis on teamwork. tree →
• "I did NOT break it," she said with emphasis. tree →
• In this lesson, the emphasis is on fractions. tree →
• Italics are used for emphasis in the story. tree →
• The word "photograph" has the emphasis on the first part. tree →
• The school places emphasis on kindness. tree →
• The cleric nodded with savage emphasis. tree →

Note

Plural «emphases» (em-fuh-seez). Verb: «emphasise» (UK) / «emphasize» (US); adjective: «emphatic». Use «emphasis on», never «emphasis about».