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Fjord

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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 long, narrow sea inlet bordered by steep cliffs or mountains, formed by glacial activity; in poetry, it conveys grandeur, isolation, and the sublime, capturing the deep, cold beauty of northern landscapes.

Detailed Definition
A fjord gives a poem a corridor of dark water enclosed by towering rock. Carved by glaciers and flooded by the sea, it joins immense geological history with immediate sensations of rain, echo, and cold light. Its confined waterway can suggest passage through isolation, while its cliff walls make ships, homes, and human voices seem startlingly small.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The fjord cut deep into the coast, dark water under sheer cliffs”; A fjord gives a poem a grand, enclosed setting: “At dusk, the fjord held the sky like a blade holds light”; Use its glacial formation to suggest ancient force: “Ice had carved the fjord, leaving the sea to fill its wound”; In a quiet scene, write: “No wave crossed the fjord except the wake of a small boat”
Additional Notes
A fjord is a deep sea inlet carved by glaciers, with steep mountain sides. Its dramatic scale and dark water often create a mood of grandeur or remoteness.
Other Meanings of “Fjord”
Also Known As
Fiord
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