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Acephalic

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Describing a metrical line that lacks its expected first syllable, often an unstressed beat; in poetry, it creates abruptness, emphasis, or a jarring entry that disrupts the reader's rhythmic expectation.

Detailed Definition
Acephalic describes a metrical line or foot that is “headless,” meaning it lacks the initial unstressed syllable expected in its metrical pattern—e.g., a trochee replacing an iamb at the start of an iambic line; this variation adds rhythmic surprise and emphasis without disrupting the overall meter.
Example
Example in poetry:
Acephalic (headless) lines omit the first unstressed syllable of a metrical pattern; e.g., a trochaic line beginning with a stress: “Break, break, break” (Tennyson) starts with a stressed syllable instead of the expected unstressed one in iambic meter.
Additional Notes
Line missing initial syllable (headless). Creates sudden, emphatic start. Common variation in iambic meter. Example: "Bare ruined choirs" (missing unstressed opening). See: acephalous.
Also Known As
Headless line Initial truncation Beheaded verse
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