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vowel harmony

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 phonological effect where vowels in a poem are made to harmonize systematically

Detailed Definition
Vowel harmony in poetry refers to the systematic use of compatible vowel sounds within a line or stanza to create euphony and fluidity; inspired by linguistic phenomena in some languages, this technique ensures vocalic smoothness, enhancing lyrical grace and auditory pleasure.
Example
Example in poetry:
Finnish or Turkish-style vowel harmony adapted in English: “The bright light flies high”; “Moon, soon, tune” using back vowels; “See, free, be” with front vowels; A line avoiding mixed vowel types for sonic cohesion
Additional Notes
Vowel harmony: A linguistic phenomenon, prominent in languages like Finnish and Turkish, where all vowels in a word must belong to the same phonetic set; in English poetry, it refers to the aesthetic effect of repeating phonetically related vowels.
Also Known As
Vowel concord Vocalic matching Vowel unison Assonance
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