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Sibilance

Sound
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

The deliberate repetition of sibilant consonants (e.g., 's', 'sh', 'z') to create a hissing or whispering sonic texture.

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Sound Devices in Poetry — Sound devices are the patterns of speech that make a poem memorable to the ear as well as meaningful on the page. This guide explains how to hear alliteration, assonance, consonance and other effects, and how to describe what they do without reducing sound to a checklist.

Detailed Definition
Sibilance is a phonetic device characterized by the frequent repetition of soft, hissing consonant sounds—particularly 's', 'sh', 'z', and 'zh'—within close proximity, often used to evoke specific moods like serenity, secrecy, or menace, and to enhance the musicality and texture of poetic language through auditory patterning.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sibilance in Shakespeare’s “Full fathom five thy father lies” – hissing sea sounds; In Poe’s “The Raven”: “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling”; Sibilance in Sylvia Plath: “The silence sizzles” – auditory tension; Contemporary: “She slips through streets, a secret, a snake” – Safia Elhillo
Additional Notes
Sibilance: Repetition of “s,” “sh,” or “z” sounds to create a hissing or whispering effect; enhances mood (e.g., mystery, tension) and musicality; a subset of alliteration/consonance.
Other Meanings of “Sibilance”
Also Known As
Hissing sound S-sound alliteration Fricative repetition Whispering consonance sibilant phrase
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