Poetry Jargon

Scansion

the process of analyzing and marking the metrical patterns of a poem. It involves dividing lines into recurring units of stressed and unstressed syllables (called feet) to determine the underlying rhythm and meter

Sibilant

a consonant sound characterized by a harsh, hissing, or hushing noise. It is produced by forcing air through a narrow channel in the vocal tract toward the teeth. Common English examples include /s/, /z/, /sh/ (/ʃ/), and /zh/ (/ʒ/)

Prosody

refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech that convey emotion, intent, and meaning beyond the literal words. Without it, communication sounds robotic. In literature and poetry, it refers to the systematic study of metrical structure, rhythm, and verse

Anapest

a three-syllable metrical foot in poetry consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable (\(\cup \cup /\)). It creates a light, galloping rhythm often used in limericks, nursery rhymes, and energetic narrative poetry

Plosives

(also known as stop consonants) are speech sounds created by fully blocking airflow in the vocal tract, building up air pressure, and suddenly releasing it to create a sharp burst of sound. In English, the six plosive consonants are p, b, t, d, k, and g

Fricatives

consonant sounds produced by forcing air through a narrow channel in the vocal tract, creating turbulent, hissing, or buzzing noise (called friction). Unlike plosives (which stop air completely), fricatives are continuants—meaning you can hold them for as long as your breath lasts

Liquids

a broad class of consonant sounds comprising rhotics (“r-like” sounds) and laterals (“l-like” sounds). They are produced with a flexible partial obstruction of the vocal tract that allows smooth, continuous airflow without producing audible friction

Glottals

a sound produced in the throat using the glottis—the space between your vocal cords. The most common example is the glottal stop (written as /ʔ/ in the IPA), which acts as the silent, abrupt "catch" in the throat you make when saying "uh-oh"

Bilabials

consonant or vowel speech sounds articulated by bringing both lips together. In English, the primary bilabial consonants are p, b, m, and w. Because these sounds are highly visible, they are often the earliest sounds infants naturally learn to mimic

Alveopalatals

sounds articulated with the tongue blade near the alveolar ridge and the body raised toward the hard palate. These heavily palatalized sibilants are commonly found in languages like Mandarin, Polish, and Russian

Interdentals

speech sounds produced by placing the tip or blade of the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the only unique symbols for interdental sounds are the fricatives [θ] (voiceless) and [ð] (voiced), commonly known as the English "th" sound

Consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words, particularly at the ends of stressed syllables or words

Assonance

the repetition of similar vowel sounds within close proximity