Home › Glossary › Letter M

murmuring

Adjective
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

Characterized by a low, continuous sound, often associated with flowing water or soft voices.

Detailed Definition
The word 'murmuring' evokes a sense of gentle sound, often linked to nature or soft conversation. In the context of the poem, it describes the bustling activity of the city, contrasting with the solitude experienced by the speaker. This term enhances the imagery of a lively environment, emphasizing the emotional weight of separation.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Go, then, and join the murmuring city's throng!" from urban contrasts; enhanced: "Go, then, and join the murmuring city's throng! / Where whispers blend into roar"; Coleridge: "Murmuring waves"; contemporary: "Murmuring crowds at protest"; educational: "Murmuring as adjective for subdued sound in Romantic odes."
Additional Notes
The term 'murmuring' captures the gentle, persistent sounds of the city, highlighting the contrast between the speaker's solitude and the vibrant life around them.; Found in the poem, To a Friend by William Lisle Bowles
Also Known As
whispering softly gentle babble low rustle murmurous flow murmurin' purling
Skip to main content