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birdie

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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

Birdie is a score of one under par on a hole in golf, or a colloquial term for the shuttlecock.

Detailed Definition
Birdie enters poetry as a dual emblem of the successful under and the flying object of the racket. In modern verse it symbolizes the small victory or the light projectile. Poets use birdie to explore themes of the improved score, the feathered flight, and the cultural term that has linked the golf course to the badminton court in the language of play.
Example
Example in poetry:
A birdie on the card or a birdie in the air supplies golf and badminton with images of small perfection; Verse of the course celebrates the score that slips under par; “He carded a birdie and the day tilted toward joy” demonstrates modest triumph; Educational lines show the term’s double life across two different games; Poets keep birdie for any success that feels light and slightly better than expected.
Additional Notes
Birdie carries a double life—one under par on the golf course, or the shuttlecock itself in informal speech. Poets may exploit either sense or let the two meanings briefly coincide. Instructors should alert students to the context that disambiguates the term. Related golf scores include eagle and bogey; related projectiles include the shuttlecock. The word’s lightness makes it useful when success must feel modest and almost accidental.
Also Known As
shuttlecock bird shuttle cock
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