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reduced break

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

A subtle internal pause or caesura within a line—lighter than a full break—that shapes rhythm without disrupting flow.

Detailed Definition
A reduced break is a subtle or minimized pause—often marked by enjambment or light punctuation—that softens the division between lines or clauses to maintain rhythmic fluidity; this technique avoids abrupt stops, favoring continuity and momentum, and is common in free verse seeking conversational or breath-driven cadence.
Example
Example in poetry:
A slight hesitation or omission of a punctuation mark where a full grammatical stop might be expected, creating a smoother flow between clauses; The use of a very short, almost negligible internal pause (caesura), giving the line a quickened pace; A line break (enjambment) where the syntax is barely disrupted; A pause in the rhythm that is noticeably shorter than a standard breath break
Additional Notes
A subtle or minor metrical interruption or pause in a line, less forceful than a full caesura, which serves to vary the rhythm without completely breaking the flow; a light phrasing break.
Also Known As
Shortened break diminished pause reduced caesura Attenuated caesura
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