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Elmo

Saints
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 saint’s name, best known from the phrase St. Elmo’s fire. It is not a common standalone reference for many readers.

Detailed Definition
Elmo here belongs to the traditional expression St. Elmo’s fire, named after Saint Erasmus, whose Italian name is Elmo. The poem uses the phrase for the eerie glowing light seen around aircraft in stormy conditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Saint Elmo’s fire is a blue electrical glow sometimes seen on masts during storms; Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” gives sailors an atmosphere of supernatural weather; “St. Elmo’s fire danced on the rigging before dawn” uses the traditional maritime image; a contemporary aviation poem may describe the glow along a plane’s wing as both warning and wonder
Additional Notes
Elmo in the quoted phrase is part of a specialized saint-name reference that many readers may not recognize.; Found in the poem, Speedbird 9 by Richard
Also Known As
The Red Muppet Furry Friend Puppet Icon
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