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Diiamb

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 metrical foot composed of two consecutive iambs (˘ – ˘ –), forming a four-syllable unit used in longer classical or accentual lines.

Detailed Definition
A Diiamb is a metrical foot consisting of two consecutive iambs (˘ – ˘ –), forming a four-syllable unit; though rarely treated as a single foot in English prosody, it appears in classical Greek metrics and occasionally in English verse as a double-iambic phrase, contributing to rhythmic variation within longer lines.
Example
Example in poetry:
Diiamb: "Four-syllable foot: 'un-der-the-hill' (˘ ¯ ˘ ¯)"; "Rare in English: 'in-ter-na-tion' approximates diiamb"; "Milton occasionally uses diiambic bursts for grandeur"; "Diiamb = two iambs fused: 'a-rise-and-shine'"; "Creates rolling, wave-like rhythm in longer lines"
Additional Notes
Diiamb is a metrical foot of four syllables: two iambic feet in sequence (unstressed-stressed, unstressed-stressed); rare in English but appears in experimental or quantitative verse, often creating a lilting, extended rhythm.
Also Known As
Double iamb Ionic minor Short-long-long foot
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