Euphonetics

/ˌjuːfəˈnɛtɪks/ noun

Definition

The study of pleasant or agreeable sounds; the science of how sounds can be arranged to be aesthetically pleasing.

Etymology

From 'euphonetic' + the noun-forming suffix '-ics'. This technical term emerged in linguistic and phonetic studies to describe systematic analysis of pleasing sound combinations.

Kelly Says

Euphonetics explains why poetry sounds beautiful when you read it aloud—it's not accidental that certain word combinations flow well together; poets are applying the principles of euphonetics, arranging sounds like a composer arranges notes.

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