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Colours

Heraldic Terms
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

The tinctures or hues used in heraldry, each carrying symbolic meaning.

Detailed Definition
In heraldry, colours (also called tinctures) include metals, colours, and furs, each with associations such as courage (red) or loyalty (blue). In poetry, heraldic colours evoke moral qualities or emblematic contrasts—bright versus dim, noble versus humble—enriching imagery of character, emotion, and heritage.
Example
Example in poetry:
Colours of war and peace—gules for blood, argent for truce—painted the poet’s allegory; “True colours,” the sonnet declared, “are not worn but revealed in trial”; The bard mixed his ink with heraldic colours to write deeds in living hues; Colours flown high told more than words: azure for truth, sable for mourning.
Additional Notes
Colours in heraldry refer to the non-metal tinctures: gules (red), azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green), and purpure (purple); they contrast with metals (Or and argent); the "rule of tincture" forbids color on color or metal on metal for visibility; in poetry, heraldic colours carry symbolic weight beyond their visual appearance.
Also Known As
Tinctures (broader term including metals and furs) Hues
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