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Noon

Time And Calendar
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

The middle of the day, when the sun is at or near its highest point. It often signifies clarity, exposure, heat, or culmination.

Detailed Definition
Noon marks the day's apparent center, a time of strongest light and, in many settings, greatest heat. Poets may use it as a counterpoint to dawn and dusk, replacing shadowy uncertainty with sharp visibility. Yet noon can be oppressive as well as radiant: a deserted street, field, or room may seem suspended beneath an unforgiving sun. Its central position makes it useful for images of climax, judgment, stasis, and the moment before decline begins.
Example
Example in poetry:
Andrew Marvell’s “The Mower’s Song” includes the line “And I do now my self distrust,” while noon in pastoral poetry often exposes the speaker under intense light; “At noon, the field held nothing back, not even the shadow beneath the stone,” uses the sun’s height to suggest revelation; Noon can serve as the day’s pivot, when morning’s promise begins to turn toward afternoon; A poet might write, “At noon, her grief stood upright and cast no shadow,” making the hour symbolize emotional exposure
Additional Notes
Noon conventionally suggests maximum light and visibility, but it can also convey oppressive heat, stillness, or exposure. Contrast it with midnight to structure a poem around revelation and concealment.
Also Known As
Midday Meridian noontide undern
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