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Middle dot

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 centered dot (·) used as a word divider or multiplication sign, occasionally in poetic typography.

Detailed Definition
The middle dot appears in Greek, Catalan, or mathematical poetry as a separator or symbol; in visual verse, its centered placement can create symmetry, pause, or geometric patterning on the page.
Example
Example in poetry:
Middle dots (·) separate words in ancient scripts adapted poetically; In Catalan poetry, · distinguishes double L: “ex·cel·lent”; Some poets use · as minimalist punctuation; In mathematical poetry, · denotes multiplication; In visual poetry, · creates dotted lines; Experimental works use · for rhythmic breaks.
Additional Notes
Middle dot: The middle dot (·) serves as a multiplication sign, list separator, or syllable divider; in poetry, it may mark caesurae or elisions in scholarly editions—its centered position avoids confusion with periods or bullets in dense typographic layouts.
Also Known As
interpunct center dot midline dot
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