Stress Patterns

Stress is measured in feet

An iamb is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable i.e destroy

A trochee is a stressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable i.e football

An anapest consists of two unstressed syllables then a stressed syllable i.e contradict

A dactyl has a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

Two syllable patterns are more like speech, Three syllable patterns are more 'singsongy'