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Enthymeme

Rhetorical Devices
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

An argument with an unstated premise that the audience is expected to supply. It persuades by relying on shared assumptions.

Detailed Definition
An enthymeme leaves part of its reasoning unspoken, trusting readers to complete the argument from cultural knowledge, emotional logic, or common belief. A poem may say, “She kept the key, so the house was never gone,” assuming that possession preserves attachment or hope. The device can make an argument feel intimate and natural because the audience participates in it. It may also expose questionable assumptions when readers notice what has been silently taken for granted.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The moon is hidden, so the night must be clouded” leaves the obvious premise unstated; “She keeps returning to the shore, therefore she belongs to the sea” assumes that repeated return shows belonging; “No honest star would guide a thief, so that star is false” relies on the unstated belief that honesty rejects theft; “The field is green again, therefore spring has come” omits the premise that spring brings renewed green growth
Additional Notes
An enthymeme leaves part of its reasoning unstated because the audience is expected to agree with or infer it. For example, “She keeps her promise, so trust her” assumes that promise keepers deserve trust. In poetry, unstated premises can make an argument feel intimate or culturally shared. Identify what assumption the speaker expects readers to supply.
Other Meanings of “Enthymeme”
Also Known As
Rhetorical Syllogism Truncated Syllogism
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