Home › Glossary › Letter S

semantic conflict

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

Tension created by opposing or clashing meanings within a poetic phrase or line

Detailed Definition
Semantic conflict arises when words or phrases within a poem carry opposing or contradictory meanings, creating tension that drives interpretive engagement; this may occur through irony, paradox, or juxtaposition (e.g., “bittersweet”), compelling readers to reconcile dissonance and uncover deeper thematic or emotional truths beneath surface contradiction.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Bitter sweet” expresses semantic conflict through oxymoron; “Deafening silence” combines contradictory terms; “Living death” in sonnets shows semantic conflict; “Awful good” in colloquial poetry creates semantic tension
Additional Notes
Semantic conflict arises when words or phrases clash in meaning, creating tension, irony, or paradox; a deliberate strategy to unsettle readers or explore contradictory truths.
Also Known As
Meaning Tension Lexical Dissonance Contradictory Signification Semantic Dispute Logomachy
Skip to main content