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Glottal meter

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

A rhythmic scheme emphasizing glottal stops or throat-constricted sounds to create percussive, staccato effects in spoken or performed poetry.

Detailed Definition
Glottal meter is a prosodic system based on the physical articulation of sounds in the glottis and throat—such as stops, fricatives, and breath sounds—rather than traditional stress or syllable count; this approach foregrounds the body’s role in voicing poetry, creating rhythms that feel visceral and primal, often used in performance poetry or works emphasizing vocal embodiment and linguistic materiality.
Example
Example in poetry:
Glottal meter: "Uh-uh, no way—/ throat-clenched refusal"; "Ah! Ah!—the gasp before the fall"; "Huh... huh... huh—labored breath as beat"; "Gh! Gh!—guttural pulse beneath words"
Additional Notes
Glottal meter uses glottal stops or throat-based articulations to shape rhythm; prominent in some Indigenous or oral traditions—experiment with breath and vocal tension.
Also Known As
Throat meter Guttural rhythm Vocal stop pattern Consonantal measure
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