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double-accent foot

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 containing two stressed syllables, creating a strong rhythmic beat

Detailed Definition
A double-accent foot is a metrical unit containing two stressed syllables in succession, creating a heavy, emphatic rhythm often used for dramatic or martial effect; though rare in English iambic norms, it appears in spondaic substitutions or alliterative verse, lending weight and urgency to key phrases or climactic moments.
Example
Example in poetry:
A metrical foot with two stressed syllables, as in “HEART-BEAT” or “TRUE-BLUE”; A line like “BLACK STONE on WHITE SAND” emphasizing double accents for dramatic effect; In Gerard Manley Hopkins’s sprung rhythm, feet like “WORLD-WRECKING” carry double stress; A chant-like phrase: “FIRE WALK, BLOOD SING.”
Additional Notes
A double-accent foot (spondee: two stressed syllables) adds weight or urgency; common in Anglo-Saxon poetry and Hopkins’s sprung rhythm—use sparingly to avoid monotony.
Also Known As
Spondaic foot Heavy beat Stressed pair Weighted syllables choriambic foot choriambus
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