Home › Glossary › Letter I

Iara

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Brazilian mythological water spirit who enchants men with song, leading them to drown in river depths.

Detailed Definition
Iara, originally a warrior woman transformed into a mermaid, sings enchanting songs that doom listeners. She blends indigenous and African elements. In poetry, Iara embodies feminine allure, tragic beauty, and the dangerous seduction of nature or forbidden desire in Brazilian romantic and modernist verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Iara, the Brazilian water nymph who lures men with song, flows through poetry as a symbol of feminine mystery and danger; In verses by Cora Coralina, Iara’s voice echoes in riverbanks, mourning lost traditions; Poets use Iara to explore desire, power, and the consequences of transgression; In eco-poetry, Iara’s tears become polluted rivers, her beauty fading; Some feminist works reclaim Iara as a protector of aquatic life, not a seductress; Contemporary poets frame Iara as a guardian of Amazonian waterways under threat.
Additional Notes
Iara is a Brazilian water spirit from Tupi-Guarani lore, a beautiful siren who lures men to drown in rivers—her name may mean “lady of the waters”; embodies desire, danger, and feminine mystery; widely used in Brazilian poetry and song as a symbol of the Amazon’s seductive peril.
Also Known As
Mãe-d'Água Yara
Skip to main content