A long while ago, I read an article on the Miriam-Webster Dictionary website, asking commenters to share what they thought the most beautiful word in the English language is. The comments were so interesting that I have decided to start a similar thread here.

Now by "most beautiful word", I don't mean the word that has the most lovely meaning or connotation. I mean the word that sounds the prettiest. That is simply a delight to say.

Here's mine: Cadence [KAY-dense].

It is a musical term meaning "place of silence". It's basically a rest in the music. I love that word! I love saying it, whispering it to myself, letting the lovely consonants slip across my lips. I'm kind of considering naming a daughter that someday.

So, which English word is most beautiful?

Ooh. Cadence is a beautiful word. I'm not sure which one I like best.

Great topic! It's fun and informative to study the sound of words, especially in how that effects how we use them. I know there are words I enjoy saying for the sound - like "irregardless." Technically that's redundant, but the sound is quite fun and I think the stressed "irr-" beginning conveys the essence of what I mean when I use that word.

However, that's not a really "pretty" word, just a fun one. If I think of some pretty ones, I shall post them here.

That is a pretty word.

I myself love the word "evanescent" (fleeting, vanishing, fading away). It just sounds so pretty and reminds me of faeries and stuff.

I've always been partial to the word ethereal.

Aniese beat me to it. I like ethereal.

Evanescent.
Ethereal.

Oh, yes. Those are lovely words. They sound like what they are, don't they?

Irregardless.
Hm. That is fun to say.

In Spanish I love the sound of the words bienvenida (you pronounce the v as a b) and corazon (you pronounce the z as a th).

In English I like the sound of the word avuncular.

Avuncular. That is fun to say. How do you pronounce that, exactly?

And, are you talking about Spanish from Spain, or from Mexico/South America?

Spanish from Spain.

Av-un (as if you were saying Uncle without the cle) - que- lar (sounds like Mars without the s. Av-un-que-lar. I hope that makes some sort of sense.

I liked the word, "Remembrance". Very pretty and it kind of slips off your tongue.

Interesting cultural difference, there. I'm used to Latin American Spanish, and those words would be pronounced differently.
*mutters "avuncular" to herself*

Aah, yes, I heard that it was different in some parts.

The word "Hallelujah" or "Alleluia" is pretty beautiful.

What a creative topic!
Cadence... cadence... indeed, that is really pretty! I always like words referring to music, like pianissimo, Allegretto, or (my name on the HF forum) cadenza.
And then this word may not be especially pretty, but it is certainly fun to say - epitome.
Have you noticed that all our lovely words mean something lovely as well? I wonder what that tells us about the human brain.

I love words that refer to music as well, Phylis.

Right; Italian seems to be a beautiful language.

It is; there are so many words really that are beautiful. I love the word coccoodrillo, even the spelling looks pretty, I think. It means crocodile.

I've always liked the sound of Memory. However, my favorite word to say is Discombobulate.

Memory does have a nice sound to it. Wow, that is a funny sounding word,

The word 'inspector' is fun to say, as well.

I like perspicacity.

I have a long list of words that have struck my ear from time to time...

Insipid
Wood (say it again, and let it form mental pictures...)
Ethereal...
Languid
Atmospheric
Slice
Ripple
Whippoorwill
Ladle
Thrumming
Breathy
Seaglass
Impression
Idlewile (Spelled this way intentionally... Read it in a book somewhere)
Pendant
Glossy
Supple

I actually have a document in my files full of words like this! I thought I was so strange for making a list

I like aurora, beautiful, coriander, fragrant, intrinsic, magnolia, trippingly, and turquoise, to name a few.

Aurora is a pretty word. I think it would be a pretty name, too, though spelled differently.

I have plenty of favorite words that I like simply because of how they sound, but two that come to mind are mystic and tendril.

Oh, yes - those are pretty words, Lady Phaidra.

Sphygmomanometer.

Nice one.

Thank you, found that one in an old book...I think by Rutherford Montgomery or some such author.

I also kind of like the word Emanate, it sounds sort of poetic in a abstract way especially when coupled with its meaning.

Hah. Now that sounds nice, in my opinion. *Goes 'round the house repeating this word to myself* Especially if you say the s like gollum would.

That'd be like.... Ssstrengthlessnesseseseeess, Precious!

I love the word Precious...

Widdershins. Though I think it's a pretty old word and almost no longer in use.

I've never heard that one before.

Neither have I, what does it mean?

I think it's counterclockwise.

widdershins? It sounds like a funny name to me. "Get out of here, you good-for-nothing widdershins!"

I also like the sounds in ancestry and bequeathed.

Yes, that's what it means.

Okay, thanks Arien and Idril.

I love that word! (Widdershins). Once I got on the internet and found all these awesome and obselete words.

Gamp – a large umbrella
Scrippage – personal belongings and baggage
Wabbit – kinda unwell or exhausted
Woofits – an unwell feeling esp. headache; a moody depression
Gangrel – child who is just learning to walk

Haha, you just used what I think is one of the prettiest words! Colloquial... it's just so fun to say... That, beleaguer, and opulent.


Hehe! That's my second favorite word ever! Second only to antidisestablishmentarianism of course!

*Tries with no success to pronounce those words*

Hey...yeah, I like that word, too. It actually sounds like a whiplash.

Thank y'all for the great words.

*grins* Well...these don't always SOUND beautiful, but I love saying them.

Doily
Besmirch
Harmony
Allegra
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lolla-Lee-Lou (for all you Dr. Seuss Fans out there. )
Vanilla
Spanghew (Meaning: to throw violently into the air; especially, to throw (a frog) into the air from the end of a stick)

I have a great aunt that serves as a missionary there!



I like the way that one sounds...

The alternative to Besmirch is to Besmirf which means to turn someone blue.