Cloudburst

Weather
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 sudden, intense downpour of rain; in poetry, this violent weather event symbolizes overwhelming emotion, cleansing, or catastrophic change.

Detailed Definition
A cloudburst is an intense downpour in which a large amount of rain falls within a short period, often causing flash floods and landslides. Though the rain may be localized, its impact can be dramatic and destructive. In poetry, a cloudburst can release long-held emotion, overwhelm a parched setting, or turn a familiar landscape into a rushing, temporary world of water.
Example
Example in poetry:
A cloudburst flooded the dry lane in minutes, washing leaves into the drains; “Then came a cloudburst, and the garden forgot its thirst,” makes sudden rain a force of renewal; A poet can use a cloudburst to interrupt a calm scene with emotional urgency; The sound of a cloudburst on a tin roof may become a rhythm for panic, joy, or release
Additional Notes
A cloudburst is brief but violent, unlike ordinary rain; use it for sudden emotional release or overwhelming action.
Also Known As
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