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speech register

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

The level or type of language used in poetry to reflect social context or speaker identity

Detailed Definition
Speech register in poetry refers to the level of formality, dialect, or social context embedded in the language, ranging from colloquial and intimate to bureaucratic or liturgical; by shifting registers within a poem, poets can signal changes in speaker, audience, or emotional tone, using linguistic code to map social hierarchies, cultural identity, or psychological states through vocal authenticity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,” rural New England diction reflects speech register; In Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool,” teenage vernacular establishes speech register; In Shakespeare’s plays, noble characters use formal speech register while clowns use colloquial; In Langston Hughes, jazz-inflected language creates African American speech register.
Additional Notes
speech register: The level of formality, dialect, or social voice used in a poem’s diction; crucial for tone.
Also Known As
Register of speech Speech style Language level Colloquial register
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