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English is weird

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Orkboy:
The phrase "I never said he stole my money" means seven different things depending on which word is stressed. 

LTK:
No it doesn't, but depending on which word is stressed, you could guess the formulation of the question or statement that preceded it.

"Don't you think he should give the money he stole back?"
"How could you accuse him of stealing?"
Etcetera.

Orkboy:
If you stress "I," it implies that someone else said it.  If you stress "never," then it literally means just that you never said it.  Stress on "said" implies that you never technically said it, but maybe hinted at it.  Stress "he" and it becomes "no, it wasn't him, it was that other guy."  Stressing "stole" indicates that you gave the money to him or something.  Stressing "my" says that he stole someone else's money.  And finally, stressing "money" says he stole something else. 

LTK:
There's a lot that can change about what the sentence implies but that does not at all change what it means.  :wink:

Papersatan:
I'm going to agree that it changes the meaning.  Meaning is more than just the surface value of words, it what they communicate.  By changing the stress of the words you are changing the message you are sending, and therefore the meaning of the sentence.

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