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Saying opposite

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 rhetorical strategy where the speaker states the opposite of their intended meaning

Detailed Definition
Saying opposite is a rhetorical strategy in poetry where the speaker asserts the reverse of what is true or intended, relying on contextual cues for the reader to infer the real meaning, thereby creating irony or understated critique.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “A Modest Proposal,” “a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food” says the opposite of humane values; In “The Rape of the Lock,” “what mighty contests rise from trivial things” says epic grandeur arises from nothing; In Auden, “He was a saint” (about a conformist) says opposite of true sanctity; In Orwellian fashion, “War is peace” exemplifies saying opposite for ironic effect.
Additional Notes
Saying opposite is a rhetorical strategy where affirmation implies negation; foundational to irony and sarcasm; effective when audience recognizes the contradiction.
Also Known As
Verbal reversal Contradictory utterance Inverted speech Irony
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