Home › Glossary › Letter D

ditties

Noun
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

Short, simple songs or poetic tunes, typically lighthearted or melodic, often intended for informal singing or rhythmic recitation.

Detailed Definition
A ditty is a brief, often light song. Here Keats contrasts ordinary heard music with the imagined, silent music of the urn.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone” (Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”); “A ditty sweet” (Milton, L’Allegro); “She sang a roadside ditty” (short simple song); “The old tune became a protest ditty” (contemporary adaptation)
Additional Notes
Although related to song, "ditties" is a less common literary word that may prompt readers to check its meaning.; Found in the poem, Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats
Also Known As
verses ballads songs rhymes
Skip to main content