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Iambic pentameter

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 metrical line of five iambs (unstressed-stressed pairs), foundational to English blank verse and dramatic poetry since Shakespeare.

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Sonnet — The sonnet is one of poetry's most enduring forms: compact enough to concentrate thought, yet flexible enough for love, politics, faith, nature and grief. This guide explores its history, structures and variations, with particular attention to the volta—the turn that gives many sonnets their dramatic movement.

Detailed Definition
Iambic pentameter is a metrical line of five iambic feet (ten syllables total, u / x5), forming the backbone of English poetic tradition from Chaucer through Shakespeare to modern verse; its natural cadence mirrors English speech, enabling expressive flexibility in sonnets, blank verse, and dramatic monologues.
Example
Example in poetry:
Iambic pentameter: Five iambs per line (ten syllables): “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” — Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, the backbone of English blank verse.
Additional Notes
Iambic pentameter: A line of verse with five iambic feet (10 syllables total); dominant meter in English blank verse and sonnets; used by Shakespeare, Milton, and others; flexible enough to accommodate variation while maintaining rhythm.
Also Known As
Five-foot iambic Rising pentameter Ten-syllable line Blank verse meter Shakespearean meter Five-beat rising line
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