Home › Glossary › Letter K

Konghou

Musical Instrument
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

An ancient Chinese angular harp, recently revived in modern orchestral music

Detailed Definition
The konghou’s ethereal plucked tones appear in Chinese poetry to symbolize imperial elegance, mythic resonance, and cultural revival; its phoenix-like resurgence makes it a metaphor for the rebirth of tradition and lyrical continuity in contemporary verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tang dynasty poets praised the konghou as “phoenix wings plucked by moon maidens”; Its arched harp echoes celestial harmony; “Konghou strings break—stars fall into wine cups”; In revival poetry, the konghou symbolizes cultural rebirth: “After centuries silent, konghou sings again.”
Additional Notes
The konghou is an ancient Chinese angular harp, recently revived in modern orchestras; its ethereal, harp-like tones suggest celestial music and imperial elegance—poets can reference it to explore historical reconstruction, the revival of lost sounds, or the harp as symbol of feminine grace in East Asian courtly imagery.
Also Known As
Chinese harp
Skip to main content