sound symbolism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Onomatopoeia (e.g., 'bang', 'meow') is a specific, direct type of sound symbolism where the word imitates a real-world sound. Sound symbolism is a broader category that includes less direct associations, like 'gleam' feeling bright or 'mountain' feeling large.

No. The Saussurean principle of arbitrariness remains dominant—most word-meaning pairs are arbitrary (e.g., 'dog' in English vs. 'chien' in French). Sound symbolism represents a fascinating and significant subset of non-arbitrary relationships within the largely arbitrary system.

Yes. Marketers and brand creators often use sound symbolism principles. For example, names for a new lightweight product might favour front vowels and fricatives (like 'Fizz' or 'Slice'), while a heavy-duty product might use back vowels and plosives (like 'Kronk' or 'Dug').

It's a classic psychological experiment often cited as evidence for a non-arbitrary, cross-modal link between shape and sound, which falls under the umbrella of sound symbolism research. It suggests that certain sound-meaning connections are not purely learned from language but may have a perceptual basis.

The direct, non-arbitrary connection between the sounds of a word and its meaning, where certain phonetic features evoke particular sensations, sizes, movements, or emotions.

Sound symbolism is usually academic / technical in register.

Sound symbolism: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsaʊnd ˌsɪm.bəl.ɪ.zəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsaʊnd ˌsɪm.bə.lɪ.zəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.