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Diaeresis

Device
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 deliberate separation of two adjacent vowels into distinct syllables rather than forming a diphthong.

Detailed Definition
Diaeresis (or dieresis) is a metrical division between words that coincides with a foot boundary, preventing elision or synizesis; in prosody, it ensures clear syllabic count and rhythmic integrity, especially in classical verse where vowel collision must be avoided, and in English poetry, it preserves intended stresses—as in Milton’s careful placement of pauses to maintain blank verse dignity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Latin, “aërial” uses diaeresis to separate vowels; English poets like Coleridge use diaeresis in “coöperate” for metrical clarity; T.S. Eliot marks diaeresis in “reëstablish” in early editions of “The Waste Land”; Diaeresis appears in hymns: “Isaïah” pronounced with three syllables.

Two dots placed over a vowel to indicate separate syllable pronunciation; Marking "coöperate" to show four syllables; Poetic notation forcing syllabic division like "aërial"; Historical spelling showing syllable breaks
Additional Notes
Diaeresis is a metrical device where a word is divided between two feet contrary to its natural syllabification (e.g., “co-op” split as “co” and “op”); it maintains meter at the cost of natural pronunciation and appears in classical prosody.

The pronunciation of two adjacent vowels as separate syllables rather than as a diphthong, often marked with diacritical marks, used for metrical purposes or emphasis.
Also Known As
Diacritic separation Syllable break Vowel division Tréma Dieresis Trema Umlaut mark Vowel separation
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