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Acoustic metaphor

Device
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 metaphor that functions through sound resemblance rather than visual or semantic similarity

Detailed Definition
A figurative comparison that uses sound or acoustic properties to describe abstract concepts, emotions, or invisible phenomena. Unlike simple onomatopoeia which imitates literal sounds, acoustic metaphor creates conceptual representations through sonic imagery, such as describing silence as "a held breath" or grief as "the echo of stones dropping into wells." This device allows poets to make intangible experiences tangible through auditory associations, creating vivid sensory connections between sound and meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
Describing silence as "a held breath"; Comparing grief's weight to "the echo of stones dropping"; Using sound imagery to represent abstract emotions; "Her laughter rippled like water over rocks"
Additional Notes
A figurative comparison that uses sound or acoustic properties to describe abstract concepts. Particularly effective for conveying emotional states or invisible phenomena. Differs from simple onomatopoeia by creating conceptual rather than literal sound representations.
Also Known As
sonic figure sound comparison acoustic simile auditory metaphor Echoic simile Sound metaphor
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