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Arras

Historical Location
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

Arras is a historic city in northern France, known for its medieval trade, rich architectural heritage, and association with the First World War.

Detailed Definition
Arras is a place-name that appears in war writing because it was the site of major fighting in World War I. In Sassoon’s poem, it helps locate the soldiers’ march and gives the scene a specific historical setting.
Example
Example in poetry:
“As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack,” recalls the First World War landscape; Arras, in northern France, was the site of major wartime battles; Rain over Arras turns trenches into mud and memory; A contemporary elegy names Arras to locate private loss within public history
Additional Notes
“Arras” is a specific place-name in the poem, and readers may need to identify where it is.; Found in the poem, The General by Siegfried Sassoon
Other Meanings of “Arras”
Also Known As
tapestry wall hanging decorative fabric embroidered cloth
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