Home › Glossary › Letter M

Mab

Folklore
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

Queen of the fairies in English folklore, notably in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Detailed Definition
Mab is tiny, mischievous, and governs dreams. In poetry, she symbolizes the capriciousness of imagination, the subconscious, and the fragility of fantasy, often appearing in romantic or whimsical verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Mab, queen of fairies, appears in Shakespearean-inspired verse: "Mab drives her chariot of bone—dreams spun from spiderweb and dew"; Poets use her to explore the subconscious: "She stitches hopes and fears at night—Queen Mab’s realm is mind’s own maze"; In Celtic revival poetry, she embodies wild magic: "Mab dances where the hawthorn grows—beware her gifts, they come with thorns"; Her tiny size inspires delicate imagery: "No bigger than an agate stone—Mab’s power fits in moonbeam’s palm"
Additional Notes
Mab: Queen Mab, a tiny fairy queen in English folklore popularized by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and later Romantic poets. Represents dreams, illusion, and the capriciousness of the fairy realm. In poetry, she symbolizes the subconscious, poetic fancy, or the fragility of fantasy. Useful in dream-logic or miniature-world verse.
Also Known As
Mab (Queen Mab) Queen of the Fairies
Skip to main content