Home › Glossary › Letter C

connecting pause

Sound
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 caesura that functions not as a break but as a bridge, smoothly connecting two clauses or ideas while marking a subtle rhythmic shift.

Detailed Definition
A connecting pause is a brief caesura or line break that simultaneously separates and links ideas, allowing the reader a moment of reflection before advancing to the next thought; it functions as a rhythmic hinge that balances progression with contemplation in lyrical composition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Connecting pause: a caesura linking clauses—“I came; I saw; I conquered”; In free verse, white space functions as breath between thoughts; A line break after “but” creates suspense before resolution; Enjambment paired with comma: “The sky, / which had been blue, turned gray”; Such pauses orchestrate rhythm and meaning.
Additional Notes
connecting pause|A slight metrical or rhythmic hesitation, less than a full caesura, that links two phrases or ideas, allowing the reader to absorb the first thought before moving to the next; essential for natural delivery.
Also Known As
bridging pause linking break transitional silence bridge pause Bridging caesura
Skip to main content