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Elision (related)

Device
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

The omission of a vowel or syllable—often marked by an apostrophe (e.g., “ne’er”)—to preserve meter or create archaic or fluid pronunciation.

Detailed Definition
Elision (related) in poetry refers to the omission of a vowel, syllable, or word to maintain meter or rhythm, often marked by an apostrophe (e.g., “o’er” for “over”); beyond technical scansion, it can symbolize absence, silence, or erasure, making the unsaid as potent as the spoken within the poem’s sonic architecture.
Example
Example in poetry:
Elision (related): In Shakespeare’s "Romeo and Juliet," “o’er the land” where the “ve” in “over” is elided; Milton’s “th’ Almighty” to contract “the” for meter; "Cold’oer" for “cold over” in older poetry to maintain rhythm; Elision used in poetry and song to smooth syllable flow and fit metric needs.
Additional Notes
The omission or slurring together of a vowel or syllable, often at the end of one word and the beginning of the next, to maintain the metrical count; e.g., "th'old" for "the old"; a key tool for scanning lines.
Also Known As
Related elision Dropping-related sound Connected elision Phonetic omission (related)
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