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Cywydd

Form
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 Welsh poetic form with strict cynghanedd and seven-syllable lines

Detailed Definition
Cywydd is a traditional Welsh stanzaic form consisting of rhyming couplets with seven-syllable lines, featuring alternating masculine and feminine rhymes and internal consonantal repetition (cynghanedd), used historically for praise poetry and courtly discourse in strict-meter bardic tradition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cywydd: A Welsh form with rhyming couplets of seven-syllable lines, alternating between masculine and feminine rhyme, e.g., "The wind sings soft through yew trees tall / Beneath the moon, I hear its call."
Additional Notes
Cywydd (Welsh) comprises rhyming couplets alternating masculine and feminine rhymes, using cynghanedd (Welsh harmony). Traditional Welsh form. Seven-syllable lines. Complex internal patterns—cornerstone of Welsh poetry tradition.
Also Known As
Welsh couplet Cymric verse-pair Traditional Welsh stanza Celtic rhyming form Welsh Cywydd Tradition
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