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Better safe than sorry

Idiomatic Phrase
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 proverb advising prudence over recklessness; in poetry, it introduces a speaker's cautious temperament or moral, often contrasting with more impulsive characters or actions.

Detailed Definition
Better safe than sorry promotes prudence, appearing in didactic or reflective poetry on risk and wisdom.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Better safe than sorry,” says the speaker, locking the heart before spring arrives; The idiom can create irony when caution prevents the poem’s desired risk; “Better safe than sorry, I saved the seed, not knowing it wanted soil,” turns prudence into metaphor; A comic couplet may let an overprepared traveler repeat the phrase before missing the train
Additional Notes
"Better safe than sorry" promotes caution in didactic or reflective poetry. Educational tip: Juxtapose with risk-takers. Related to prudence motifs, supporting moral philosophy integrations in literature courses.
Also Known As
better to be safe caution is wise play it safe better safe prudence
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