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Hyphen

Notation
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 short dash (-) connecting compound words or splitting syllables at line breaks in poetry.

Detailed Definition
The hyphen links modifiers, creates compound neologisms, or indicates syllabic breaks in justified text; in poetry, it shapes rhythm, enables inventive diction, and controls enjambment, as seen in compound epithets of epic or modernist verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hyphens compound words: “long-awaited dawn”; In Dickinson, hyphens create neologisms: “death’s-soft-call”; Hyphens join prefixes: “re-born”; In modern verse, hyphens link images: “sky-blue silence”; Hyphens prevent ambiguity: “small-child policy”; In compound adjectives: “heart-breaking truth”.
Additional Notes
Hyphen: The hyphen (-) joins compound words or indicates line-end word breaks; in poetry, it can create neologisms (e.g., “earth-smell”) or control syllabic flow—misuse disrupts meter, so apply according to linguistic and prosodic norms.
Also Known As
hyphen-minus
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