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Double stress

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 adjacent stressed syllables (– –), such as a spondee, used for emphasis, disruption, or solemnity in poetic rhythm.

Detailed Definition
Double stress, or spondee, is a metrical foot consisting of two consecutive stressed syllables (e.g., “heartbreak” or “true blue”); it disrupts regular meter to create emphasis, weight, or urgency, and is frequently used in English poetry to highlight key emotional or thematic words, though overuse can lead to rhythmic monotony.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Heartbreak" (both syllables stressed); "True blue" (two strong stresses); "Stop! Look!" (imperatives with double stress); "Black night" (spondee in iambic line); "Doomed youth" (two heavy stresses for emphasis)
Additional Notes
Double stress (spondee) places two stressed syllables together (e.g., "heartbreak"), disrupting meter for emphasis; common in English to highlight key words or emotions; students should scan lines to identify spondees and assess their impact on rhythm; overuse can create monotony; related to "clipped dactyl" when truncation creates stress clusters.
Also Known As
reinforced accent twin emphasis dual ictus Spondaic foot Spondaic meter Spondaic substitution
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