Home › Glossary › Letter P

pew

Archaic Terms
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

A pew is a long bench with a back, typically found in churches for seating worshippers.

Detailed Definition
The term 'pew' refers to a type of seating in a church, often arranged in rows. It is derived from the Old French 'puie' and has been used in English since the 14th century. In the context of the poem, the mention of not renting a pew suggests a critique of religious practices or institutions.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Never rent a pew" ecclesiastical; enhanced: "Never rent a pew. Worship freely under open sky"; Dickinson church critique; contemporary: "Pew of conformity"; educational: "Pew seating in religious dissent poetry."
Additional Notes
The word 'pew' appears in the line 'Never rent a pew,' indicating a specific type of seating in a church.; Found in the poem, Advice to a Son by Ernest Hemingway
Also Known As
church bench wooden seat devotional pew congregational stall
Skip to main content