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unstressedstressed

Unstressed-stressed is a term used in linguistics and poetics to describe a syllable sequence in which one syllable is unstressed and the following syllable is stressed. In phonetics, stress marks relative prominence: the stressed syllable is typically louder, longer, and higher in pitch. Unstressed syllables often feature vowel reduction, such as a schwa in English.

In English, stress can distinguish word meaning and part of speech, and patterns vary across words. For

In poetry, the most common unstressed-stressed foot is the iamb. A line of iambic pentameter consists of

Phonology also notes that some languages have fixed word stress, such as Finnish, where the first syllable

The term unfolds a core asymmetry in pronunciation and verse that underpins rhythm, intelligibility, and word

example,
record
(noun)
versus
record
(verb);
present
(noun)
versus
present
(verb).
In
connected
speech,
sequences
of
unstressed-stressed
syllables
contribute
to
the
language’s
rhythm
and
intelligibility.
five
iambs
per
line
and
is
a
hallmark
of
much
English
verse,
including
many
lines
by
Shakespeare.
Other
feet
include
trochaic
(stressed-unstressed)
and
anapestic
(unstressed-unstressed-stressed),
which
produce
different
patterns
of
unstressed
and
stressed
syllables.
Dactylic
feet
(stressed-unstressed-unstressed)
are
another
example
used
in
various
poetic
traditions.
is
consistently
stressed,
rather
than
a
flexible
system
like
English.
Vowel
quality
often
correlates
with
the
stressed
syllable,
with
reduced
vowels
in
unstressed
positions
and
fuller
vowels
in
stressed
ones.
meaning
in
many
languages.
Some
writers
and
linguists
prefer
specific
terms
for
the
metrical
feet
(iamb,
trochee)
rather
than
the
broader
phrase.