Home › Glossary › Letter O

Ouzel

Birds
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

An old name for the dipper or ring ouzel, a thrush-like bird of mountain streams.

Detailed Definition
Ouzel appears in poetry as a Romantic emblem of wild solitude and musical purity. John Muir famously praised the water ouzel (dipper) as nature’s perfect joy. Its presence in remote, rushing waters evokes themes of unspoiled beauty and spiritual refreshment. Poets use ouzel to connect to 19th-century naturalist traditions, celebrating creatures that embody harmony with elemental forces and the untamed voice of mountain landscapes.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Muir’s lyrical prose, the ouzel (dipper) sings “with sweet, gushing cheerfulness” amid icy Sierra streams, inspiring nature poets; Poets use the ouzel to evoke 19th-century Romantic ideals of unspoiled wilderness and joyous harmony with elements; Its ability to walk underwater becomes a metaphor for navigating emotional depths with grace and song; In mountain poetry, the ouzel’s white breast against dark rocks symbolizes purity and resilience; The ouzel’s presence in remote headwaters links it to themes of origin, clarity, and spiritual refreshment; Contemporary poets reference the ouzel to lament stream pollution and the loss of pristine aquatic habitats.
Additional Notes
Ouzel: An old name for the dipper (water ouzel) or the ring ouzel (a thrush). In poetry, “ouzel” often evokes archaic or pastoral tones. Clarify which species is meant: the aquatic dipper suggests purity and tenacity, while the ring ouzel (mountain-dwelling) implies remoteness or seasonal passage.
Also Known As
Water Ouzel (for Dipper) Ring Ouzel (European thrush) Ouzel Thrush
Skip to main content