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Mute e (prosody)

Meter
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 mute e in prosody is an unpronounced final “e” in French verse that influences syllable count and metrical structure without being vocalized.

Detailed Definition
Mute e (prosody) refers to a final, unpronounced “e” in French or English verse that affects syllable count and meter without being audibly stressed; in English poetry, it may be elided for metrical regularity (e.g., “lovèd” pronounced as two syllables), preserving rhythmic flow.
Example
Example in poetry:
Final “e” silent in French alexandrines (“aimé” pronounced “aimay”); mute e in English iambic pentameter (“the” before consonant often elided); Chaucerian pronunciation where “name” = “nahm”; elision in Milton’s “Paradise Lost” (“th’ Almighty”)
Additional Notes
Mute e (prosody) refers to silent final 'e' in words like "love." Can be counted or elided in scansion depending on period and poet. Critical for reading Chaucer and Spenser. Affects syllable count.
Also Known As
Silent e final e prosodic e unstressed terminal vowel
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