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December 11, 2009

Strange But True!

Q. Can you guess what the following words all have in common: mother, smile, love, sunshine, sweetheart, hope, rainbow, sunflower, twinkle, serendipity, lullaby, butterfly, galaxy, lollipop, bumblebee, giggle, peekaboo, cherish, blossom, umbrella?

A. If they sound a little like music to the ears, you're on the right track. The above were considered among the most beautiful words in English, by 7,000 people polled in 46 countries for the British Council, says David Crystal in “Words, Words, Words.” Also voting were 35,000 Web site visitors. In similar polls, the words melody, twilight, hush, luminous, golden, chimes, tranquil were selected. “Surveys of this kind tend to mix up words that have beautiful sounds like peekaboo and words that have beautiful meanings like hope.” Words like parakeet, sycamore, zoo, antimacassar, doppleganger seemed picked for their sound rather than their meaning.


 
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