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Breve below

Notation
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 diacritic (̮) placed under a letter to indicate brevity or specific phonetic qualities.

Detailed Definition
The breve below is a rare diacritical mark used in linguistic transcription and occasionally in transliterated poetry to denote a short or reduced vowel sound; in poetic contexts, it ensures accurate phonetic rendering, particularly in multilingual or phonetically precise verse requiring nuanced articulation.
Example
Example in poetry:
The breve below appears in linguistic transcriptions of poetry to mark syllabic consonants, as in [r̮]; In transliterated Arabic poetry, breve below may indicate a reduced vowel; Some phonetic poets use breve below to notate quick, light sounds; In scholarly editions, breve below helps distinguish vowel reduction in sung poetry; Though rare, it may appear in avant-garde scores for precise vocal articulation; Poets working with reconstructed texts use breve below for uncertain vowel qualities.
Additional Notes
Breve below: The breve below (̮) is a diacritic used in phonetic or metrical notation to indicate a short vowel or syllable, especially in linguistic transcriptions of classical verse; in prosody, it contrasts with the macron (long mark)—essential for students analyzing quantitative meter in Greek or Latin poetry adapted into English forms.
Also Known As
inverted breve (context-dependent) short mark below
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