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Unstressed pair

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 metrical unit consisting of two consecutive unstressed syllables

Detailed Definition
An unstressed pair, or pyrrhic foot, consists of two consecutive unstressed syllables (u u) and is typically used within a larger metrical line to create variation, speed, or contrast against stressed feet; though rarely dominant, it contributes to rhythmic flexibility and natural speech cadence.
Example
Example in poetry:
In iambic meter, unstressed pair appears as two consecutive unstressed syllables creating a pyrrhic foot; In Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” unstressed pair surfaces in “into the valley of Death”; In Shakespeare’s blank verse, unstressed pair often precedes a spondee for rhythmic variation; In Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” unstressed pair appears in lines like “Of man’s first disobedience” where “first dis” may scan as unstressed pair
Additional Notes
Unstressed pair refers to two consecutive unstressed syllables (e.g., in anapest or amphibrach), creating a light, flowing rhythm; common in lighthearted or narrative verse.
Also Known As
Pyrrhic foot Light-footed duo Weak-beat couplet Dibrach Double-short measure
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