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Tone mark

Notation
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 diacritic indicating pitch or intonation in tonal languages, crucial for poetic meter in such traditions.

Detailed Definition
Tone marks are essential in Chinese, Vietnamese, or Yoruba poetry, where pitch determines meaning and meter; their inclusion ensures correct recitation and preserves the intricate sound-meaning interplay central to these poetic forms.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tone marks appear in transliterated Chinese poetry: “mā (mother)”; In African verse, tone marks preserve meaning; Poets using tonal languages retain marks; In linguistic poetry, tone marks guide recitation; Some experimental poets adopt tone marks visually; In multilingual poems, tone marks ensure accuracy.
Additional Notes
Tone mark: Tone marks (e.g., ´, `, ˆ) indicate pitch contours in tonal languages; in poetic transcription, they preserve melodic aspects essential to meaning and meter—critical for accurate representation of African, East Asian, or Indigenous verse in Roman script.
Also Known As
pitch mark diacritic tone
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