Home › Glossary › Letter S

Spellbound

Folklore
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

Under the influence of a magical spell, unable to move, think, or speak, often enchanted by beauty, song, or fear.

Detailed Definition
Spellbound in poetry symbolizes the paralysis of awe, terror, or desire. It appears in Romantic and lyrical verse as the moment when language fails—when the heart is held by magic, and the mind is a prisoner of beauty too vast to name.
Example
Example in poetry:
Spellbound; In a lyrical refrain: “Spellbound by the rhyme she sang, I forgot my name, my home, my breath—only the melody remained, and the silence after”;
Additional Notes
Spellbound describes being under a magical spell, unable to move, think, or speak—often enchanted by beauty, song, or fear. In folklore, it is a state of arrested will. In poetry, it represents paralysis by awe, trauma, or desire. Poets use it to explore moments of stillness, the weight of silence, or the ecstasy of being overwhelmed.
Also Known As
Enchanted Charmed Enraptured Rapt wrapt
Skip to main content