Home › Glossary › Letter '

'Twas

Archaic Terms
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

'Twas is a contraction of 'it was,' commonly used in older English poetry.

Detailed Definition
'Twas is an archaic contraction of 'it was,' often found in poetry to maintain rhythm and rhyme. Its usage evokes a sense of nostalgia and formality, characteristic of earlier literary styles. In this poem, it sets a tone of longing and reflection, as seen in the line, 'I did but look and love awhile,'Twas but for one half-hour.'
Example
Example in poetry:
"'Twas but for one half-hour; Then to resist I had no will" (archaic contraction of 'it was'); "'Twas the time when lilies blow" (Elizabethan lyric); "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves" (Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky"); "'Twas on a lofty vase's side" (Swift); "'Twas in the moon of wintertime" (Canadian carol)
Additional Notes
The word 'Twas appears in the line, emphasizing the poem's archaic style and contributing to its emotional tone.; Found in the poem, The Enchantment by Thomas Otway
Also Known As
It was There was Once 'twas Behold it was
Skip to main content