Home › Glossary › Letter S

six-unit choriamb

Meter
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

A single poetic line formed by six consecutive choriambs (long-short-short-long), creating a stately, processional rhythm.

Detailed Definition
A six-unit choriamb is a metrical line composed of six choriambic segments, each following a long-short-short-long (quantitative) or stressed-unstressed-unstressed-stressed (accentual) pattern; this highly intricate rhythm is rare in English but may appear in experimental or classically inspired verse seeking rhythmic sophistication.
Example
Example in poetry:
A metrical unit of six syllables in choriambic rhythm (long-short-short-long): "Majestic silence falls"; "Golden twilight fades"; "Splendid darkness comes"; Each phrase forms one six-unit choriamb
Additional Notes
This is synonymous with Choriambic Hexameter or a six-foot choriambic line; the term "six-unit" explicitly denotes the six metrical feet (units) composed of the choriamb (-∪∪-).
Also Known As
Hexachoriamb six-fold choriambic line Choriambic hexameter
Skip to main content