101 Phonetic Symbolism
The meaning conveyed by the sounds of words.
• Certain letter sounds symbolize size, gender, and aggression, and reinforce these meanings in words.
• Consonant sounds with a constant flow of air—such as the letters s, f, v, z—are associated with smallness, femininity, and passivity. Consonant sounds where the air is blocked—like the letters p, k, t, b, g, d, hard c—are associated with largeness, masculinity, and aggression.
• Vowel sounds that widen the mouth, as with a smile—e (bee), i (sit), a (hate), e (best)—are associated with smallness, femininity, and passivity. Vowel sounds that bring the mouth into a circle—o (dome), o (caught), a (can), u (food), u (put), u (luck), a (cot)—are associated with largeness, masculinity, ...
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