Two research traditions dominate the phonological description of rhythm. One is the typology of syllabic and accentual languages, the other metrical phonology. The first of these approaches determines rhythmic quality in temporal terms, the second in terms of accent. The present monograph sets out to show that both these approaches are problematical for a universal phonology of rhythm seeking to place equal emphasis on time and accentual prominence and supported by evidence culled from phonetics, psycholinguistics, and a poetological approach to metre.