Sounding English words for the name. Unusual words from different languages. List of attractive English words

The concept of beauty is subjective, but there are words whose beauty is undeniable for most linguists, especially for those who love this language. The unique combination of vowels and consonants, combined with the nuances or associative perception of a word, can create phonological harmony and musicality that satisfies aesthetic canons. However, just as too much explanation can ruin the joke, we risk boring you with too much analysis and depriving you of the pleasure of hearing, saying and reading these beautiful words. So let's get down to business and share our discoveries.

What are the most beautiful English words?

In 2004, the British Council asked this question to approximately 40,000 people (who speak English as a foreign language) living in 46 countries. According to the survey results, the top ten most beautiful English words from the point of view of non-native speakers included:

mother (mother)
passion
smile (smile)
love (love)
eternity (eternity)
fantastic (fantastic)
destiny (fate)
freedom (freedom, independence)
liberty (freedom, freedom)
tranquility (calmness)

Wilfred Funk, a renowned lexicographer and author of the Reader's Digest column "It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power," conducted another study that resulted in the following list of the most beautiful words in the English language:

asphodel (asphodel, narcissus)
fawn
dawn
chalice (bowl)
anemone (anemone)
tranquil (calm)
hush (silence)
golden (golden)
halcyon (halcyon, kingfisher)
camellia (camellia)
bobolink (rice bird)
thrush
chimes (chimes, chime)
murmuring (murmuring, muttering)
lullaby (lullaby)
luminous (luminous)
damask (damask steel)
cerulean (azure)
melody (melody)
marigold (marigolds, marigolds)
jonquil (narcissus, bright yellow canary)
oriole (oriole)
tendril (curl, tendril)
myrrh (myrrh)
mignonette (French lace, mignonette)
gossamer (autumn gossamer, transparent)
Alysseum (proper name - Transl. note)
mist (haze)
oleander (oleander)
amaryllis (amaryllis)
rosemary (rosemary)

To top it all off, we conducted an informal survey among linguists in the ALTA network and discovered an interesting pattern. Some of the most beautiful, in their opinion, English words turned out to be borrowed from other languages. This is probably just a reflection of the multinational nature of the English-speaking population, but it may also indicate the continuous development and expansion of the English language.

In addition, for reasons still unclear, we prefer words that contain the letters s and q, and when choosing words we were guided more by their pleasant sound than by their associative meaning [the only exception was a dozen buzzwords that have become firmly established in our speech, among which were sale (sale) and free shipping (free delivery)]. Here are our finalists (in random order):

Finalists for the most beautiful English words according to the ALTA survey:

bubble, a small ball filled with gas formed in a liquid
poshlust (vulgarity or literally thirst for pathos. - Transl. note) [borrowing from Russian, adapted by Nabokov], something related to bad taste, obscene
perspicacious (insightful), subtle mental perception
diaphanous (transparent), obvious, light and translucent
duende (charm) [borrowing from Spanish], the mysterious ability of a work of art to touch the human soul
susurrus (rustle), soft murmur, rustling; whisper
sesquipedalian (polysyllabic; long and difficult), using too long, tricky words
ennui (longing) [borrowing from French], a feeling of oppressive boredom
doppelgänger (double) [borrowing from German], a double or a person very similar to someone else
iridescent (irridescent), sparkling and brilliant; shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow
ephemeral (ephemeral), short-lived; transient
arboreal (woody), pertaining to wood
cadence (modulation), rhythmic sequence of sounds
mellifluous (mellifluous), caressing the ear
quintessence (quintessence), the very essence of something
epythymy (there is no exact equivalent in Russian yet. - Transl. note), lustful desire
gezellig (sociable) [borrowing from Dutch], a feeling of warmth and comfort when spending time with those you love in a very pleasant place
saudade (longing) [borrowing from Portuguese], a passionate desire to return something irretrievably lost

Translation from English was done in

Surely you have asked yourself the question more than once: why are some words in the English language so melodic and beautiful? And the reason is not that this language is the most popular, but that you have the opportunity to discover another world in which your capabilities will multiply. Very often, people decide to learn English precisely because they like the sound of individual words.

Why is this language beautiful?

The English language is attractive to many people for a number of the following reasons:

Subconscious craving for euphony. There are no sibilant consonants, which are similar in sound, but there are a large number of long vowels. There are also no words that are difficult to pronounce, despite the fact that in order to pronounce some you need to have certain articulatory abilities.

Linguistic semantics. Most words are easy to recognize because they are universal. Some of them were borrowed from other languages, for example: fantastic - fantastic, delicacy - delicacy, eternity - eternity, galaxy - galaxy, freedom - liberty. The English language can be compared to a sponge - it has absorbed valuable linguistic forms, which is why it seems so beautiful.

Incredible emotional vocabulary. This may include the presence of idioms and unusual colloquial slang, as well as the use of affectionate suffixes and other techniques.

Invaluable experience of linguists

Linguists from Britain like to organize various surveys. Not long ago they decided to create another one. Its goal is to discover words that are pleasant to hear. The survey was conducted among foreigners, since it is difficult for a native resident of Britain to determine the attractiveness of a particular word - he simply ties them to certain meanings. And, as for non-native speakers, they are often attracted to unknown words.

First place in the survey was taken by the very melodic word mother, known to every person from birth. Other results varied depending on age and social group level:

Young people prefer romantic words, as well as those related to music.

Philosophical concepts appealed to older people.

Businessmen like tangible terms about business life.

Housewives like everyday words, as well as those that are often found in shopping and in TV series.

As you can see, the survey did not give definite results. This was further evidence that the environment where a person lives and works influences lexical preferences. Every language has attractive words.

List of attractive English words

But still, among a million words, it was possible to distinguish between beautiful words in English that attract people and make them want to learn the language:

Blossom - to bloom.
Bumblebee - bumblebee.
Banana - banana.
Observatory - observatory.
Bliss - bliss.
Aqua - water.
Cozy - cozy.
Blue - blue.
Cute - cute.
Bubble - bubble.
Galaxy - galaxy.
Destiny - fate.
Mint - mint.
Gorgeous - magnificent.
Rainbow - rainbow.
Sentiment - feeling, mood.
Freedom - freedom.
Delicacy - delicacy.
Cherish - to cherish.
Cosmopolitan - cosmopolitan.
Extravaganza - extravaganza.
Fantastic - fantastic.
Grace - grace.
Hope - hope.
Lullaby - lullaby.
Moment - moment.
Pet - animal.
Lollipop - lollipop.
Peace - peace.
Sweetheart - beloved.
Smile - smile.
Enthusiasm - enthusiasm.
Sunshine - sunlight.
Paradox - paradox.
Hilarious - cheerful.
Passion - passion.
Peekaboo is a hide and seek game.
Kangaroo - kangaroo.
Love - love.
Emotion - emotion.
Sophisticated - sophisticated.
Twinkle - flicker.
Tranquility - calmness.
Umbrella - umbrella.
Sunflower - sunflower.

And these are considered the most beautiful words in English:

Bubble - bubble.
Hope - hope.
Blue - blue.
Love - love.
Smile - smile.
Mother - mother.
Camomile - chamomile.

The secret of the beauty of words

Surely you have noticed that these words have not only beautiful pronunciation, but also meaning. They are positive in meaning and evoke only pleasant emotions, because beauty is associated with kindness.

The survey was also conducted among marketers, designers, and workers. And, in their opinion, with the help of beautiful words in English you can attract the attention of the target audience and not only.

And, if you have a desire to learn English, we highly recommend the Lim English training service. Here you will not only learn many beautiful words in English with translation, but also expand your vocabulary, learn to pronounce sentences correctly and beautifully. After all, a person who knows English owns the whole world. And it's hard to argue with that.

Blogger and BuzzFeed columnist Dan Dalton polled his Twitter followers to find out what most people thought were the most beautiful words in the English language. And this is what happened:

Aquiver(adj.) trembling, trembling

mellifluous(adj.) mellifluous, caressing the ear

ineffable-(adj.) something that cannot be expressed, indescribable

hireath– (n) a feeling of longing for a home that you cannot return to or that never existed.

nefarious- vile, vile, dishonest

somnambulist-a man walking in a dream

epoch– era

sonorous- ringing loud sound

serendipity– when everything coincided in the best way, or an important discovery unexpectedly happened; a pleasant surprise

limerence is a condition often described as infatuation, obsession, or romantic love. But it can be present without love

bombinate- buzz, buzz

ethereal- ethereal, airy, heavenly

illicit –(adj) illegal, prohibited, criminal

petrichor– the pleasant smell of earth after rain. I think such a word should be in the Russian language! You experience such a feeling a hundred times, but there’s no way to describe it
you know, and here you go, such a gorgeous word! =)

iridescent-(adj) iridescent, iridescent, rainbow-like

epiphany- (n) moment of sudden insight

supine– (adj) lying horizontally on the back

luminescence(n) light produced by electricity, chemicals or other means

solitude(n) state of isolation and solitude

aurora – (n) dawn

syzygy –(n) location of celestial bodies on the same line. When, for example, the planets line up

phosphines- light (spots) that appears when you rub your eyes

oblivion(n) the state when everyone around you knows everything except you

ephemeral - ephemeral, not lasting very long

incandescence(n) light produced by high temperatures

denouement -(n) completion, summing up, ending

vellichor -(n) strange nostalgia for old books

eloquence(n) oratory, eloquence

defenestration(noun) throwing someone out of a window.
Here it is interesting to think that in order for a concept to enter a language and take hold there, this event must happen hundreds of times..

sonder- the realization that every passerby also has their own life as full and rich as yours

effervescence - bubbles in water

cromulent -(adj) acceptable, permissible

Taken and translated from

When the city falls asleep, the sky wakes up. It is illuminated by hundreds of stars and flying comets, showing their burning tails to those who are not yet sleeping.

The moon, with its cold gaze, carefully examines the houses, plunged into sleep, leaving glare in the windows. And at this time, a lunar path is clearly visible on the sea, trembling from side to side, as if reminiscent of the breathing of water.

As Anatoly Rakhmatov said, “we will enjoy life while it gives us this chance!” Today we started with a small lyrical digression for a reason to attract the attention of those who want to get acquainted with the most beautiful words in the English language. There are a huge number of them, so we will highlight the most memorable ones.

Ailurophile– cat lover
Becoming- attractive
Brood- to think, to entertain a thought
Bucolic– characteristics of village life
Chatoyant– iridescent
The etymology of the word goes back to the 18th century and originates from the French “chatoyer” - to sparkle like a cat's eye.
Comely- pretty, attractive
The word comes from the Old English “cymlic” meaning “beautiful”, in Old German it meant “transient”, and in Middle High German it meant “accordingly”, “properly”
Cynosure– center of attention, guiding star
The expression “the cynosure of all eyes” first appears in J. Milton’s work “L’Allegro”, written in 1632.
Dalliance– light flirting; banter
Demure- modest, reasonable
But this word has long been over 600 years old, and initially it meant “to put off,” and later took on the meaning of “adult.”
Desultory– incoherent, unsystematic
Dulcet– sweet, pleasant, gentle (sound). The word comes from Latin and has not changed its meaning since the 14th century.
One of the most romantic words is efflorescence– the beginning of flowering, a synonym for which is blossoming.
Evanescent- disappearing, fleeting, unnoticeable
Evocative– evocative
Fetching- attractive, seductive
Felicity- bliss, prosperity
In English there is an idiom felicity of phrase, meaning “gift of speech”, “eloquence”.
Halcyon- peaceful, happy.
If your days are filled with serenity, you can safely say: “I have halcyon days.”
Ineffable- indescribable, unspeakable
Lagniappe(in American colloquial lagnappe, lanyap) - a small gift that comes with the purchase. Can also denote bonus and tip.
Leisure- free time
Lissome– flexible, elastic
Mellifluous- sweet-sounding, caressing
Offing- seaside, space visible from the shore to the horizon
Petrichor– the word has Greek roots meaning “stone” and “liquid”, and symbolizes the indescribable and recognizable aroma emanating from the earth after rain.
Penumbra– literally and figuratively means “half-light” and “half-shade”.

Sometimes such words are quite difficult to find in your native language. We can describe an event or element for an infinite amount of time, but expressing thoughts in one word can be difficult. This is once again proven by Alexander Blok’s poem “Night, Street, Lantern, Pharmacy.” It is also worth paying attention to the masters who wrote tanka, haiku and haiku, because they, barely waving their brush, could express a thought, conveying a special philosophy in a few lines:

Quiet steps
Impatience inflames the soul
Funny tricks
Should I not know
How passion flares up