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Subtle rhyme

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

Rhyme that is understated, partial, or embedded within words—such as slant, internal, or mosaic rhyme—creating subtle sonic links without overt auditory emphasis.

Detailed Definition
Subtle rhyme employs slant, consonantal, or other imperfect sound correspondence that creates delicate acoustic relationships without obvious perfect rhyme. This technique generates sophisticated musicality through understated phonetic connection, often privileging suggestion over emphatic chime.
Example
Example in poetry:
Subtle rhyme appears in Emily Dickinson’s slant rhymes: “light/night”; modern example: Seamus Heaney’s “Follower” uses “plough/through”; subtle rhyme avoids perfect match for emotional unease; it’s common in modern lyric; this device creates sonic suggestion; it’s key to free verse music.
Additional Notes
Rhyme that is understated, slant, or nearly imperceptible, creating sonic connection without obvious chiming effects.
Also Known As
Slant rhyme Half rhyme Near rhyme Imperfect rhyme Delicate rhyme
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