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vowel-alternation reduplication

Sound
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 repeated word form distinguished by alternating vowel sounds, used rhythmically

Detailed Definition
Vowel-alternation reduplication is a morphological poetic device where a word is repeated with a changed vowel to create rhythmic or semantic variation (e.g., “flip-flop”); this playful technique emphasizes contrast, motion, or duality through minimal phonetic shift.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Tick-tock” using vowel alternation for rhythmic effect; “Flip-flop” changing vowels to suggest reversal; “Ping-pong” with alternating short i and o; “Ding-dong” using vowel shift to mimic sound
Additional Notes
Vowel-alternation reduplication: A figure of speech where a phrase or word is repeated with a change only in the middle vowel (e.g., flim-flam, tick-tock); a type of epizeuxis used for emphasis, sound play, or casual tone.
Also Known As
Reduplicated vowels Alternating vowel form Vowel play
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