specific

Concept
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

Referring to particular, concrete details rather than generalities or abstractions

Detailed Definition
In poetry, “specific” denotes language that names precise objects, actions, or details rather than generalities; specific diction enhances vividness and authenticity, as “oak table” is more evocative than “furniture,” grounding the poem in observable reality.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “The Fish,” Bishop specifies “five-haired beard of wisdom”; In “Digging,” Heaney specifies “the squat pen rests; snug as a gun”; In “The Red Wheelbarrow,” Williams specifies “glazed with rain / water”; In “Fog,” Sandburg specifies “little cat feet.”
Additional Notes
Specific: Detail-oriented diction focusing on precise description; opposite of abstract generalizations.
Also Known As
Particular Definite Concrete detail Concrete
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