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Vowel extension mark

Notation
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 diacritic indicating that a vowel is pronounced for an extended duration in quantitative meter

Detailed Definition
A vowel extension mark, such as the macron (ā) or circumflex (â), indicates elongated vowel pronunciation in prosody, crucial for scanning quantitative meters in classical languages; it ensures accurate syllabic duration in poetic composition and recitation.
Example
Example in poetry:
A macron (¯) over “ā” in Latin to show vowel length; in Greek prosody, “ῑ” marked to indicate long iota; used in scansion of dactylic hexameter; seen in textbooks teaching quantitative meter with vowel extension marks
Additional Notes
Vowel extension mark: A diacritic (e.g., macron) indicating a long vowel in quantitative prosody; essential for correct scansion in classical and Persian meters.
Also Known As
Macron Long vowel diacritic Duration accent Quantitative vowel sign
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