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Dependent accent

Meter
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 stressed syllable whose emphasis depends on surrounding context—such as phrasing or contrast—rather than inherent metrical position.

Detailed Definition
A syllable receiving metrical stress not from natural linguistic emphasis or semantic weight, but from its position within an established metrical pattern and relationship to surrounding syllables. The dependent accent gains emphasis because of metrical context—surrounded by unstressed syllables in an iambic pattern, for example—rather than inherent importance. This concept explains the difference between metrical scansion and natural speech stress patterns.
Example
Example in poetry:
Syllables stressed by metrical position not natural speech; Accent relying on context for emphasis; Stress dependent on surrounding pattern; Emphasis determined by metrical convention
Additional Notes
Important for understanding difference between metrical and linguistic stress. Helps explain why metrical scansion sometimes differs from natural pronunciation.
Also Known As
Contextual accent Positional stress Metrical emphasis Pattern-dependent stress Enclitic stress
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