18 more words that are fun to pronounce
by Laura Hale Brockway
In a previous post, I wrote about words that are fun to pronounce. On the list were polydactyly, contumelious, and mundungus.
At the end of the post, I asked PR Daily readers to share their favorite fun-to-say words—though the allure in some cases may lie more in their definition than their enunciation Here are some of the responses. Click on the word to hear its pronunciation. (Definitions and pronunciations are from Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com.)
Aficianado — a person who likes, appreciates, and knows about an activity or interest.
Byzantine — of or pertaining to the Byzantine Empire; of the architecture, painting, and decorative style of the Byzantine Empire; highly complicated, intricate, or involved.
Defenestration — the act of throwing something out the window.
Forsythia — a shrub of the olive family with yellow blossoms.
Fracas — a noisy quarrel or brawl.
Hemidemisemiquaver — in music, a one-sixty-fourth note. It takes much longer to say it than to play it.
Mnemonic — a verbal device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.
Peripatetic — walking about or from place to place; traveling on foot; relating to the philosophy or teaching methods of Aristotle.
Prestidigitation — sleight of hand; a show of skill or deceitful cleverness.
Preternatural — beyond or different from what is natural; extraordinary.
Rhododendron — an evergreen shrub with clusters of bell-shaped flowers.
Serendipitous — come upon or found by accident; beneficial; favorable.
Tchoupitoulas — an extinct Native American tribe; a street in New Orleans
Triskaidekaphobia — fear of the number 13.
Vestibule — a small hallway or passage between the outer door and the interior of a house or building.
Vituperative — abusive; spoken or written abuse.
Walla Walla — a town in southeastern Washington near the Oregon border named after a Native American tribe.
Wilmerding, PA — a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. [Editor’s note: Neither Merriam-Webster nor Dictionary.com offers a pronunciation of this word, so you’re on your own. For our money, it’s pronounced: Wilmer-Ding.]
Got a favorite in this batch? Care to offer another?
This article was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.
