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Lenticular Cloud

Weather
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 smooth, lens-shaped cloud that forms near mountains in strong flowing air.

Detailed Definition
A lenticular cloud is a stationary, rounded cloud often shaped like a lens, saucer, or layered cap. It forms when moist air flows over a mountain or other obstacle, cools, and condenses in a standing wave. Its unusual shape gives it an uncanny presence in poems, where it may become a sign of watchfulness, visitation, or stillness held within moving air.
Example
Example in poetry:
A lenticular cloud hovered over the mountain like a smooth silver lens; “The lenticular cloud kept its perfect shape above the peak,” gives the sky an uncanny stillness; A poet can use its saucer-like form to make a landscape appear strange or otherworldly; Because lenticular clouds form in mountain air, they can suggest invisible winds shaping what the speaker sees
Additional Notes
These stationary-looking clouds form in mountain wave airflows; their unusual shape can suggest mystery or otherworldliness.
Also Known As
Lens Cloud Lenticularis Flying-Saucer Cloud
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