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Acoustic correspondence

Sound
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

A correspondence of sound between words, often forming the basis of rhyme

Detailed Definition
In poetry, acoustic correspondence refers to the relationship between sounds in different words or lines that create resonance, harmony, or echo-like effects. It encompasses both exact and near rhymes, as well as repeated phonemes that connect lines aurally. This device is used to strengthen imagery, unify structure, and produce a pleasing auditory layer, even when semantic links are minimal.
Example
Example in poetry:
Using “moon” and “soon” in alternating lines; Repeating vowel sounds in “high, sigh, sky”; Pairing “drift” and “gift” across stanzas; Creating subtle echo with “stone” and “alone”
Additional Notes
Acoustic correspondence is a recurrence or affinity of sounds across words or lines, including rhyme, slant rhyme, assonance, consonance, and alliteration. It can bind free verse without a fixed end-rhyme scheme and may link distant images through repeated vowels or consonants. When studying, mark repeated sounds aloud and ask whether they create harmony, tension, echo, or emphasis. Contrast exact rhyme with subtler sound patterning.
Also Known As
Sound alignment Aural harmony Phonic matching Frequency rhyme
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