Speakers of 28 languages linked sound and shape at least 88% of the time, in ‘strongest case of sound symbolism to date’
A rolled R is a sound that many struggle to produce, but research suggests it evokes the same curious response in people the world over: an association with a jagged line.
While onomatopoeia describes words that sound like the noise they describe – such as “bang” – sound symbolism is a broader concept, in which sounds map on to a wider range of meanings, such as shape, texture or size.
About Author
More Stories
Revealed: Chinese researchers can access half a million UK GP records
About 15% of world’s cropland polluted with toxic metals, say researchers
Rebecca Hendin on life outside our solar system – cartoon