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Bouzouki

Musical Instrument
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 Greek stringed instrument with a long neck and bright, metallic tone

Detailed Definition
The bouzouki appears in poetry as a voice of Greek urban life, exile, and rebetiko lament; its sharp, emotive sound conveys themes of loss, resilience, and cultural pride, often serving as a bridge between ancient heritage and modern diasporic experience in lyrical expression.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Greek exile poetry, the bouzouki’s metallic strings pluck the pain of displacement; Poets liken its long neck to a bridge between islands of memory; The bouzouki appears in rebetiko verse as the voice of urban outcasts and hashish dreams; Its tremolo technique inspires poems with shimmering, unresolved emotion; The bouzouki’s pear-shaped body becomes a symbol of cultural fusion—Ottoman meets Hellenic; Modern poets use the bouzouki to explore resilience—its sound surviving censorship and war.
Additional Notes
The bouzouki, a Greek long-necked lute with metallic strings, drives rebetiko and folk music with its bright, driving rhythm; its sound evokes urban grit, exile, and resilience—poets can draw on its sharp timbre to express defiance, nostalgia, or the clash of old and new worlds.
Also Known As
Greek bouzouki Irish bouzouki
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