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Mark my words

Idiomatic Phrase
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

Mark my words urges attention to a prediction or warning, asserting certainty; in prophetic or authoritative speech, it demands belief, foreshadows events, or establishes credibility through confident declaration.

Detailed Definition
Mark my words means pay attention to what I am saying, because it will prove true. In poetry, the phrase can introduce prophecy, warning, threat, advice, or dramatic irony. The word “mark” is significant for poetry: it suggests noting, remembering, inscribing, or leaving a trace. A speaker who says it may be wise, pompous, desperate, or deluded. Poets can use the idiom to create suspense, especially when readers later see whether the warning was accurate, ignored, or tragically misunderstood.
Example
Example in poetry:
A prophetic poem might begin, mark my words, the river will remember what the city forgets; In comic verse, a grandmother says mark my words before every accurate warning; The phrase asks listeners to remember a prediction or serious statement; A poet can use it to give a voice authority and urgency.
Additional Notes
Mark my words is a command asking the listener to remember a warning, prediction, or promise. In poetry, it can create prophetic, parental, threatening, or comic voice. The verb mark suggests inscription, attention, and memory, making speech into something that should leave a trace. Students should notice how the phrase heightens authority but may also expose overconfidence if the prediction later fails.
Also Known As
warning
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