Pronoun-like

Device
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 referring word or element functioning like a pronoun that links back to something prior.

Detailed Definition
Pronoun-like refers to words or phrases in poetry that function syntactically or semantically as pronouns without being standard pronouns—such as “the beloved,” “this hand,” or “one”—to evoke presence, absence, or generalized identity; this technique allows poets to imply subjectivity while maintaining lyrical distance or universality.
Example
Example in poetry:
A descriptive word or phrase that functions similarly to a pronoun, substituting for a previously mentioned noun without being a true pronoun; A kennings in Old English poetry, such as 'ring-giver' for a king; Using the great house to refer to a previously mentioned specific building; Referring to a beloved person as the light or my star.
Additional Notes
Pronoun-like: A word or phrase that functions rhetorically similar to a pronoun by standing in for a larger concept or previously mentioned idea, but is not grammatically a pronoun (e.g., using The former or This state).
Also Known As
Pronominal pronoun-like structure stand-in word form Anaphoric
Skip to main content