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Brachycatalexis

Prosody
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 metrical deficiency in prosody where a poetic line lacks its final two syllables, resulting in a truncated or incomplete rhythmic pattern.

Detailed Definition
Brachycatalexis is a metrical truncation where the final syllable of a line is omitted, creating a clipped, abrupt ending; common in trochaic or dactylic verse, it adds rhythmic tension or emphasis, as in some lines of Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
Example
Example in poetry:
Brachycatalexis is the omission of the final syllable in a metrical line; example: in “Hickory, dickory, dock,” the last foot is truncated for rhythmic effect.
Additional Notes
Metrical truncation removing two final syllables/feet. Related: catalexis, curtailment. Technical prosodic term. Tip: Consider whether truncation serves emphasis, surprise, or tonal shift in analysis.
Also Known As
Short-short ending Double truncation Extreme catalexis Twice-cut closure
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