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Dot below

Notation
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 diacritic (̣) under a letter to indicate retroflex or emphatic sounds in transliterated poetry.

Detailed Definition
Common in Sanskrit or Arabic transliteration, the dot below signals specific consonantal articulations; in poetic contexts, it preserves phonetic authenticity, affecting meter and oral performance in cross-cultural or liturgical verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dot below appears in transliterated Sanskrit poetry: “ṭ” in “ṛta” (cosmic order); In Arabic transliteration, “ṣ” with dot below preserves phonetics; Poets referencing Indic traditions retain dot-below letters; In linguistic notation, dot below marks retroflex consonants; Some avant-garde poets use dot below for visual texture; In multilingual poems, dot below ensures accurate pronunciation.
Additional Notes
Dot below: The dot below (̣) commonly indicates a retroflex or implosive consonant in linguistic transcription; in metrical studies of South Asian or African poetry rendered in Roman script, it preserves phonemic distinctions critical to rhythm and recitation—ensure font support for accurate display.
Also Known As
underdot
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