Words that feel good on the tongue

[shereads]

There are linguists who claim that the most beautiful combination of words in the English language is "cellar door."

Are these linguists cunning, or just full of crap?

I've been trying to think of other words and sets of words whose sounds are pleasurable, regardless of their meaning.

"Silken."

Does "silken" sound nice, as I think it does? Or is it only that I'm linking the sound with the meaning?

It's easier to think of ugly-sounding words for appealing concepts:

"Luster" is lacklustre. Maybe in Britain the word has a pretty sound, but over here it's nasal and flat.

Can anyone think of words/word pairs that sound good, are fun to say, or simply look good on the page, but whose meaning is neutral - like "cellar door" - or even negative?

 

[minsue]

I love words that start with 'dis'. Don't know why. I love DirtyLover's location:

disparately dissipating through the collective unconscious

. The only thing missing from there is dissonance.

I also love the word somnambulate.

 

[Guest]

penchant (when pronounced correctly; feels very good in my mouth)

Perdita

 

[shereads]

dissonance

Ooh. Good one.

Perdita, penchant feels like a bit like pasta, doesn't it? On the tongue, I mean. Rich in carbohydrates, but not heavy.

 

[Guest]

Perdita, penchant feels like a bit like pasta, doesn't it? On the tongue, I mean.

Uh, not really. Though they both begin with 'p', they're distinctly different; the pen makes the lips move forward more. The chant makes the tongue retreat to the back of the mouth (from its roof); I like that movement.

Perdita

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Caress. Or most any word with that sibilant S sound at the end.

-Collg

 

[Guest]

Sibilant is good too. Say sssssibilant.

Perdita

 

[Guest]

 

[Boxlicker101]

Anything with a sibilant "S" at the end of a syllable like pussy, kiss, caress, messy, fussy, hiss, piss, etc. Some of these are actually negative words.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Currently my favorite words are all Aztec and whatever that language group is called. "Huitzilipochtli", "Teotihuacan".

I could sit around and say "Tlaloc" for hours. So nice the way your tongue plops into your mouth like a frog into a pond.

---dr.M.

 

[Guest]

Plippy plop.

 

[lewdandlicentious]

I like "Slut"

 

[Guest]

Mab., the language is called Nahuatl, and is still spoken. Take a look at this.

Perdita (my great-grandfather was Azteco)

 

[A7inchPhildo]

vacuum

I happen to like saying the word and what's more is if your in the car with the kids, and some one cuts you off. Just look out the window and let them read your lips. 'Vacuum' The kids think your going to clean. The other driver thinks....... you can figure that one out.

Try it in the mirror V a c u u m

Besides it is a great word to stick in a story if you want to search your story later (google it) utilizing uncommon words. It is not hard either, Space, empty space, cleaner, vacancy, void, emptiness, In light bulbs whatever. Just a word is all it is. Which goes right along with Vacuity

 

[Wills]

I have always been partial to the tongue rippling and guttural sound of French words.'Tis a pity since I can hardly speak a word of the language.

Even the simple expression 'bon apetite' requires oral dexterity rarely demanded in English.

We have a mobile phone ad on the TV currently that shows a charming young woman discarding her wardrobe into a refuse bin, the bit I especially like is where she places her very expensive shoes on the open fire. The sound track to this visual feast as a French song simply sung unaccompanied by another woman. The timbre of the song flickers like the flames of the fire, never fails to catch my attention. French - I love it.

(PS - We also have a Portuguese tourism ad being screened at the moment spoken entirely in Spanish, with subtitles. I'm beginning to think this should be on the conspiracy thread)

PPS - I haven't yet worked out what a girl throwing away her clothes has to do with a mobile phone. I would appreciate guidance in my ever lengthening search to understand the motivation of the fair female.

 

[catalina_francisco]

In the english language 'insatiable' comes to mind as a favourite. I love the meaning, the sound, the formation, and the physical ending of the the mouth in a full luscious kiss. Of course is also provokes the beauty of the song by the same name by Darren Hayes.

Catalina

 

[Liar]

Three pretty words that mean pretty things:

marine
immortelle
shimmer


Two pretty words that means not-so-pretty things:

clamour
cinder

 

[gauchecritic]

Like Wills I have a similar pornshaw for foreign languages of which I speak only a few words.

Totally unsure of the spellings.

Cattereh (four in Lithuanian)

Biruta (a girl's name)

zdrasvootyeh. (thankyou? in Russki)

Even a lot of single letter pronunciation in Russian is lingually thrilling.

Beh

Geh

eee

peh

erh

oo

xha

sheh

shcheh

yri

and of course

Gauche

 

[Guest]

Well, Gauche and others know I love the Russian language. For those interested: Listen to Russian

Perdita

 

[CharleyH]

Well, I only need to read a little to think into my god damn brain . . . most words with b, l, soft s's, etc are sensual because they linger in the mouth as if you might be cunninglingistically or fellatio'ly breathing your lover,slowly, sensually into your pussy, pressing into her with a thrust, into the body, between the lips, across one's mouth.

As opposed to k words, which are not so sensual . . . .my word, my word? That would be the name of my cy-ber-lover

 

[Guest]

As opposed to k words, which are not so sensual . . .

You have a point, Charlus. E.g., all those ick's in German. Ick.

Perdita

 

[LorriLove]

I like "Slut"

you called?

 

[NoJo]

He said "slut", not "fooking slut"

 

[shereads]

Lovely words to pronounce, but not necessarily to experience, include:

bacteria

eczema

pasture

speculum

antipathy

purity

enigma

passivity

Concepts that deserve beautiful words, but don't have any in the English language:

smile

sex

book

scrotum

Utah

air

fuck

fook


Meanings that desperately need words:

1. Gender-neutral substitutes for his/hers, he/she (It bugs me when a client demands the use of their/theirs/they when he or she wrongly assumes that we will be offended by the use of the commonly accepted "he" in ad copy. Even I, me or myself, a feminist, prefer the use of "he" to the voluntary use of an obvious mistake.

2. Ya'll. There ain't no word that means ya'll.

 

[Guest]

zdrasvootyeh. (thankyou? in Russki)

Gauche, just reread your post, missed this. Zdrast is the short slang word, both mean Hello, Hi, Eyup, general greeting like. Spassiba is thank you.

do'cvedanya, Perdita