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Sound couplet

Rhyme
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 pair of lines linked by end-rhyme and often by sonic texture or musicality

Detailed Definition
A sound couplet uses rhyme and rhythmic harmony to create memorable, epigrammatic closure; effective for wit, summation, or ironic twist, it has been central to heroic couplets (Pope), Augustan satire, and contemporary lyric, where its compact symmetry delivers both musical satisfaction and intellectual punch.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sound couplet uses rhyme and rhythm for musical effect, as in Pope’s “An Essay on Criticism”: “True ease in writing comes from art, not chance”; In Shakespeare’s sonnets: “So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, / So long lives this, and this gives life to thee”; Another: “The night is long, the stars are bright— / hold me close till morning light”
Additional Notes
Sound couplet uses rhyme and rhythmic harmony to create memorable, epigrammatic closure; effective for wit, summation, or ironic twist, especially in heroic or Augustan couplets.
Also Known As
Rhyming pair Harmonic duo Auditory stanza ear-rhyme couplet Sound-pattern couplet
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