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sher

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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 self-contained couplet in Urdu poetry, especially ghazal tradition.

Detailed Definition
Sher (or shi’r) is the Arabic and Persian term for “poetry” in general, but often refers specifically to a single line or couplet within a larger composition; in Urdu and Persian traditions, it denotes the bayt (couplet), the essential unit of the ghazal, where each sher can function as an independent poetic thought.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ghalib: “Ishq ne ‘Ghalib’ nikamma kar diya / varna hum bhi aadmi the kaam ke”; Iqbal: “Khudi ko kar buland itna...”; Faiz: “Bol ke lab azaad hain tere”; Mir: “Dikhaai diye yun ke bekhud kiya / Hamein aap se bhi juda kar chale”.
Additional Notes
Sher = Urdu/Persian couplet; often standalone ghazal unit. Master radif/qafiya—note density of imagery in minimal lines.
Also Known As
Couplet bayt Persian distich Urdu sher Ghazal couplet
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