Home › Glossary › Letter E

Echoic

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

Language characterized by sonic imitation or repetition—such as onomatopoeia or echo effects—that mimics natural sounds or enhances auditory texture.

Detailed Definition
Echoic describes language that imitates or evokes natural sounds through onomatopoeia, alliteration, or rhythm, creating an auditory mimicry that enhances sensory immersion; in poetry, echoic diction makes the text resonate with the noises of its subject—buzzing bees, clashing swords, whispering winds—bridging sound and sense.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “The Windhover,” “dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon” uses echoic alliteration; In Old English poetry, “helm” and “hilt” create echoic consonance; In Sylvia Plath’s “Ariel,” “black / Sweet blood mouthfuls” uses echoic /b/ sounds; In Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool,” “jazz June” creates echoic /j/ sounds; In Ocean Vuong’s “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong,” “amber light” and “bruise-colored dusk” use echoic vowel sounds.
Additional Notes
Adjective describing imitative sounds or word patterns that mirror what they represent. Broader than onomatopoeia; includes structural echoing and repetition. Related to mimetic verse. Study Poe's "The Bells" for extensive echoic effects.
Also Known As
echoing resonant Allusive
Skip to main content