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Pyrrhic

Meter
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

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables, often used as a substitution to vary iambic or trochaic rhythms in English verse.

Detailed Definition
A pyrrhic is a metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables (da-da), often occurring incidentally in iambic or trochaic lines; though rarely used as a dominant foot, it creates rhythmic variation and can emphasize surrounding stressed syllables through contrast.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pyrrhic: two unstressed syllables—often in iambic lines for variation: “To be, or not to be, that is the ques- / -tion” (the “the” is pyrrhic before stressed “ques”); In “Paradise Lost,” “in the midst of” contains pyrrhic feet; Contemporary free verse uses pyrrhics to create breathless speed; Pyrrhics soften rhythm and enable metrical flexibility.
Additional Notes
Pyrrhic: A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables (da-da); rare as a standalone foot in English but often appears within lines of iambic or trochaic meter to vary rhythm; usually followed by a spondee for compensation.
Also Known As
Double-unstressed foot Two-short measure Weak-weak unit Unaccented pair Pondee
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