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Macron below

Notation
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 diacritic (̱) under a letter to indicate vowel length or tone in linguistic transcription.

Detailed Definition
The macron below specifies phonetic qualities in transliterated texts; in poetry, it ensures accurate metrical scansion and pronunciation, particularly in works drawing from tonal or quantitative metrical systems.
Example
Example in poetry:
Macron below (̱) appears in linguistic transcriptions to mark vowel lowering; In transliterated Native American poetry, it indicates specific sounds; Some phonetic poets use it for tonal precision; In scholarly editions, it preserves prosodic features; Though rare, it appears in avant-garde scores; Poets working with endangered languages retain macron below for accuracy.
Additional Notes
Macron below: The macron below (̱) is a diacritic used in phonetic transcription to indicate vowel length or specific articulation; in metrical studies of classical or indigenous poetry, it helps preserve quantitative distinctions lost in Romanization—essential for accurate prosodic reconstruction.
Also Known As
inverted macron (context-dependent)
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