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Foot substitution

Meter
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 replacement of a standard metrical foot with a different one (e.g., a spondee in iambic verse) to vary rhythm or emphasize meaning.

Detailed Definition
Foot substitution: The deliberate replacement of one metrical foot with another within a line of regular meter (e.g., inserting a trochee into an iambic line), used to create rhythmic variation, emphasize key words, or signal shifts in tone or emotion.
Example
Example in poetry:
In iambic pentameter, replacing first iamb with trochee: “Cruel darkness” instead of “Darkness cruel”; Shakespeare’s “Richard III”: “Now is the winter of our discontent” (spondee substitution); Frost’s “Stopping by Woods” uses anapests amid iambs for rhythmic surprise
Additional Notes
Replacing expected metrical foot with different one. Variation technique. Prevents monotony, adds emphasis. Related: metrical variation, substitution types. Study: which substitutions work in which meters.
Also Known As
Metrical variation Substituted foot Metric deviation Prosodic replacement Substitution
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