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Initial elision

Device
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

The omission of an initial unstressed syllable or sound at the beginning of a metrical line, often to maintain rhythmic flow or accommodate meter.

Detailed Definition
Initial elision is the poetic omission of a vowel or syllable at the start of a word to maintain meter or facilitate smooth enjambment, commonly occurring when a line begins with a word that would otherwise create a metrical clash; it preserves rhythmic integrity while subtly altering pronunciation for artistic effect.
Example
Example in poetry:
Omitting vowel at start: “’tend” for “attend”; “’scape” for “escape”; “’specially” for “especially”; “’tis” for “it is”
Additional Notes
Initial elision: The blending or slurring of two syllables (typically a final vowel/unstressed syllable and an initial vowel/unstressed syllable) at the start of a word or line for metrical smoothness; less common than elision in the middle or end of words.
Also Known As
initial loss beginning elision dropped onset omitted start Prodelision
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