In collaboration with Lauren, Jocelyn, Maria, and Tatyana.
What we consider beautiful is subjective, but there are some English words that language lovers have reached a kind of consensus on regarding beauty.
A unique combination of vowel and consonant sounds, coupled with a nuanced or associative meaning of a word, can create an aesthetically satisfying phonologic harmony and musicality.
However, just as excessive explanation can strip the humor from a joke, we risk dulling the experience of hearing, speaking, and reading beautiful words with too much analysis. Best to jump right in and see what we’ve uncovered.
What are the most beautiful words in English?
In 2004, the British Council asked this question to approximately 40,000 non-native English speakers in 46 different countries. According to the survey results, the top ten most beautiful English words from a non-native speaker’s perspective are:
mother
passion
smile
love
eternity
fantastic
destiny
freedom
liberty
tranquility
In a different kind of assessment, a distinguished lexicographer and the originator of the Reader’s Digest Column “It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power”, Wilfred Funk, compiled the following list of the most beautiful words of the English language:
Asphodel
fawn
dawn
chalice
anemone
tranquil
hush
golden
halcyon
camellia
bobolink
thrush
chimes
murmuring
lullaby
luminous
damask
cerulean
melody
marigold
jonquil
oriole
tendril
myrrh
mignonette
gossamer
alysseum
mist
oleander
amaryllis
rosemary
Finally, in an informal survey of several language professionals around the ALTA offices, we found an interesting pattern. Several of the the most beautiful English words, as deemed by ALTA-ites, are actually loanwords from foreign languages, which is probably just a reflection of the multilingual atmosphere, but could also be indicative of English’s constant expansion.
Also, for whatever reason, we tend to favor words that showcase ‘S’ and ‘Q’ sounds, and we rely more on the musicality of a word than it’s associative meaning (with the exception of a savvy fashionista whose top ten included sale, rebate, and free shipping). Here are our finalists (in no particular order):
ALTA finalists for most beautiful English words:
Bubble
a small globule of gas in a thin liquid envelope
Poshlust
[Russian loanword adapted by Nabakov] something that is in bad taste; trashy
Perspicacious
having keen mental perception
Diaphanous
sheer, light, and translucent
Duende
[Spanish loanword] the mysterious power of a work of art to deeply move a person
Susurrus
a soft murmuring or rustling sound; a whisper.
Sesquipedalian
given to using long words
Ennui
[French loanword] a feeling of oppressive boredom
Doppelgänger
[German loanword] A double, or look-alike person.
Iridescent
brilliant and lustrous; producing a multitude of prismatic colors
Ephemeral
short-lived; transitory
Arboreal
pertaining to trees
Cadence
a rhythmic flow of sequential sounds
Mellifluous
smoothly or sweetly flowing
Quintessence
the most perfect embodiment of something
Epythymy
a lustful desire
Gezellig
[Dutch loanword] the warm, comfortable feeling of being with people you love in a cozy place.
Saudade
[Portuguese loanword] longing for something or someone that you love and which is lost.
If any Beyond Words readers wish to amend the list, feel free to leave a comment!
Gezellig is Dutch, not German.
@Purple Cow-
Thank you for pointing out our error! We were thinking of the German loanword ‘Gemuetlichkeit’ but decided that Gezellig is more enjoyable to say, even if it hasn’t been adopted as widely as Gemuetlichkeit.
[...] This Portuguese word was also featured in our most beautiful words post a while back. It refers to the feeling of longing for something or someone that you love and [...]
“summer” gets my vote.
I wish i knew how to use saudade. perhaps the part of speech a word is could be included with words in posts
I really like the word sesquipedalian. A while back, my family started describing one of my sisters as being rather loquacious, so I said I was more given to sesquipedalian loquaciousness.
In addition to Dutch, “Gesellig” is found in modern German as well, and traces back at least to Middle High German. The meaning is identical. While ‘gemuetlichkeit’ is due to your location (furniture etc.), ‘geselligkeit’ is elicited by the people you are with.
A good list, but may I correct your definition of ‘Diaphanous’.
Diaphanous things allow light to pass through them, so they are entirely translucent. Perhaps you meant “… almost transparent”?
Thanks, Peter!
I think ‘aubade’ is beautiful, and ‘aurora’, too.