hypercatalexis

Questions

What does hypercatalexis mean?

The addition of one or two syllables to the last foot of a verse

Where does hypercatalexis come from?

Coined in the late 1880s as a back-formation from hypercatalectic, from Latin hypercatalēcticus, from Ancient Greek ὑπερκαταληκτικός (huperkatalēktikós), from ὑπερ- (huper-, “over”) + καταληκτικός (katalēktikós, “incomplete”)

How to pronounce hypercatalexis

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hypercatalexis”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hypercatalexis”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “hypercatalexis” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.