Home › Glossary › Letter I

Ionic pentameter

Meter
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

A five-foot line composed of Ionic feet (unstressed-unstressed-stressed-stressed or reverse)

Detailed Definition
Ionic pentameter consists of five ionic feet per line (usually u u – –), a rare but sonorous meter in classical poetry that supports lyrical expansiveness; its double-short/double-long pattern creates a wave-like rhythm suited to hymns or elevated meditative verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ionic pentameter: Five Ionic feet per line: “Through the meadows bright with blossoms dancing in the sun” — mimicking the rolling ˘ ˘ ¯ ¯ rhythm.
Additional Notes
Five Ionic feet per line. Moderately long line in Ionic pattern. Rare in English practice but theoretically possible. The length allows for sustained rhythmic effect. Compare with pentameter in dactylic or iambic meters.
Also Known As
Greek middle meter Ionic five-foot Classical pentameter Double-short five-foot
Skip to main content