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Hypercatalectic

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

Verse lines containing extra syllables beyond the regular metrical pattern

Detailed Definition
Hypercatalectic describes a metrical line that ends with an extra, unstressed syllable beyond the expected pattern—e.g., an iambic tetrameter line with nine syllables instead of eight—creating a feminine ending that softens closure and introduces rhythmic variation, common in lyrical and song-like verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hypercatalectic: Trochaic tetrameter + extra syllable: “Tyger Tyger, burning bright, / In the forests of the night,” (Blake); “Extra beat at line’s soft end” (tutorial); “Masculine line with feminine grace” (metrical note)
Additional Notes
Line with extra syllable(s) beyond expected meter. Opposite: catalectic (shortened). Related: catalexis, metrical variation. Study: where extra syllables appear and why.
Also Known As
extra-syllabic hypermetrical
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