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Two-syllable foot

Meter
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 basic metrical unit consisting of two syllables, such as an iamb or trochee

Detailed Definition
A two-syllable foot is a metrical unit in poetic meter consisting of two syllables, such as the iamb (unstressed-stressed) or trochee (stressed-unstressed); these foundational building blocks shape a poem’s rhythm and pacing, with the iamb being especially prevalent in English-language verse due to its natural alignment with speech patterns.
Example
Example in poetry:
Iamb (unstressed-stressed: “be-fore”); Trochee (stressed-unstressed: “gar-den”); Spondee (stressed-stressed: “heart-break”); Pyrrhic (unstressed-unstressed: “in a”)
Additional Notes
Two-syllable foot|A metrical unit composed of exactly two syllables, with varying stress patterns: iamb (u−), trochee (− u), spondee (−−), or pyrrhic (u u); these are the foundational units of English meter.
Also Known As
Dissyllabic foot Two-beat foot Two-syllable meter Iamb Iambic Trochaic
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