Home › Glossary › Letter W

Wit

Concept
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Intellectual sharpness, keen perception, and clever expression of ideas; verbal dexterity

Detailed Definition
Wit in poetry denotes a sophisticated intellectual playfulness that combines ingenuity, verbal dexterity, and surprising connections—often through paradox, pun, or conceit—to delight and provoke the reader; distinct from mere humor, poetic wit (especially in the Metaphysical tradition of John Donne or the Augustan satire of Alexander Pope) fuses thought and feeling, using logic and imagination to explore complex ideas with elegance and irony, turning abstract concepts into vivid, often startling images that reveal deeper truths through the shock of recognition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Wit|Clever verbal ingenuity and intelligence; Metaphysical conceits displaying brilliance; Donne's surprising comparisons; Intellectual wordplay and paradox
Additional Notes
Wit in poetry combines cleverness, intellectual play, and verbal dexterity, often producing surprise, humor, or insight.
Also Known As
Wordplay Cleverness Verbal ingenuity Intellectual humor wag
Skip to main content