Home › Glossary › Letter T

Truncated

Meter
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

A metrically incomplete foot or line missing expected syllables.

Detailed Definition
Truncated in poetry means shortened or cut off, typically referring to lines or meters that omit expected syllables or feet; truncation creates rhythmic tension or emphasis, as in a trochaic line missing its final unstressed syllable (catalexis), producing a stark, abrupt cadence that underscores emotional or thematic finality.
Example
Example in poetry:
A line cut short for dramatic effect: “O world! O life! O time!” — final line truncated; “The stars —” (end of poem) — abrupt truncation; “She said my name —” (no completion) — emotional truncation; “And then —” — narrative suspended
Additional Notes
Truncated|A term in prosody meaning a line of verse that is missing one or more unstressed syllables from the expected metrical pattern, usually at the end of the line, creating an abrupt or incomplete sound; related to catalectic.
Also Known As
Shortened Abridged Incomplete Catalectic
Skip to main content