Home › Glossary › Letter D

Discord

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

Intentional use of clashing or dissonant sounds to create tension or express conflict

Detailed Definition
Discord in poetry refers to deliberate dissonance created through clashing sounds, jarring syntax, or contradictory imagery to evoke tension, unease, or conflict; unlike euphony, which seeks harmony, discord challenges aesthetic comfort, often serving political, psychological, or existential purposes in modernist and avant-garde traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Juxtaposing “roses bloom” with “rats gnaw bones” in adjacent lines; Clashing images: “Wedding bells” followed by “funeral drums”; Dissonant sounds: harsh consonants interrupting lyrical flow (“crack,” “grit,” “screech”); Emotional contradiction: “I love you” spoken over a battlefield
Additional Notes
Discord in poetry refers to deliberate dissonance in sound, syntax, or imagery to evoke tension, unease, or conflict; contrast with harmony or euphony.
Also Known As
dissonance cacophony harmonic rupture jarring clash Unharmonious quality strife
Skip to main content