Communication is a combination of many things. In fact, words are not as important as tone, body language, facial expressions.
Word stress can easily change the meaning of a sentence. In this example “I didn’t say I would kill him” I have demonstrated the following meanings:
I didn’t say I would kill him
Meaning (Someone else said it, not me)
I didn’t say I would kill him
Meaning (That is not want I said)
I didn’t say I would kill him
Meaning (I may have thought it but I didn’t vocalise it)
I didn’t say I would kill him
Meaning (I was talking hypothetically)
I didn’t say I would kill him
Meaning (I said I would do something else to him)
I didn’t say I would kill him
Meaning (I said I would kill someone else)
What do you think it would mean if you stress the middle ‘I’ in this sentence:
I didn’t say I would kill him.
Write your answer in the comments.
Be mindful of word stress, it may communicate more than you intend!