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Pleonastic Conjunction

Device
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 deliberate use of redundant conjunctions (e.g., “and and,” “but but”) for rhythmic or emphatic effect.

Detailed Definition
Pleonastic conjunction involves the redundant or emphatic use of coordinating conjunctions (like “and” or “but”) beyond grammatical necessity to create rhythmic accumulation, emotional urgency, or rhetorical insistence, as seen in biblical poetry (“and he ran and he wept and he prayed”).
Example
Example in poetry:
Pleonastic conjunction in Shakespeare: “free and gratis” (The Merchant of Venice); “Cease and desist” – legal pleonastic conjunction echoed in poetic diction; Pleonastic conjunction in Donne: “true and faithful”; Modern: “each and every soul” in Claudia Rankine for rhetorical emphasis
Additional Notes
Unnecessary conjunction for emphasis ("and...and...and"). Biblical style (polysyndeton). Related to syndeton. Tip: Notice cumulative effect of repeated connectors; slows pace, adds weight.
Also Known As
Unnecessary conjunction Redundant connector Extra and/or Pleonastic linking
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