Home › Glossary › Letter B

Ballad chorus

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 recurring refrain or burden line repeated across stanzas in a ballad

Detailed Definition
Ballad chorus refers to a repeated stanza or line group in a ballad that functions as a communal or narrative anchor, echoing key themes or advancing the story through cyclical return; it distinguishes folk ballads from literary forms by emphasizing oral performance and audience participation.
Example
Example in poetry:
The chorus of a ballad repeated in each stanza: “Then up and spake the knight so bold”; “And the wind did blow, did blow”; “Oh, my love is gone”; “All around my hat”
Additional Notes
Ballad chorus is the segment of a ballad that is repeated after each stanza, similar to a refrain or burden; it is crucial for oral performance and memorability.
Also Known As
ballad refrain chorus line recurring refrain ballad return
Skip to main content