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Chorus refrain

Device
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 refrain that echoes the repetition of a lyrical or musical chorus.

Detailed Definition
A Chorus refrain is a repeated line or phrase sung or spoken by a chorus at regular intervals within a poem or song, serving to anchor thematic motifs, reinforce communal sentiment, or provide rhythmic stability; unlike solo refrains, choral refrains emphasize collective voice and often appear in liturgical, dramatic, or folk-derived poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore’” acts as a chorus refrain in Poe’s poem; The repeated “Hallelujah” in Handel’s Messiah; The line “For ever and ever, amen” in church hymns; Repetition of “We will rock you” in the Queen song.
Additional Notes
Chorus refrain|A line or phrase that is repeated by the chorus at intervals within a choral song or throughout a larger poem/song; similar to a burden.
Also Known As
repeating chorus cyclical chorus line refrain chant Anthemic refrain Song refrain
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