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Guide to
Phonesthemic
Initials
Just for fun!
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Page
Contents |
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Introduction
Initial Sounds Menu |
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Introduction |
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Sometimes it is possible to have associations
about a word in English merely by looking at it or hearing it spoken. On
this page I'd like to draw your attention to certain initial sounds
that help convey the general gist of some words you may not have met
before.
J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter"
stories have captured the imagination of children all over the world. In
the first book of the series, Harry enrolls at Hogwarts school where the
naughty boys' team is called Slytherin and the most dreaded
teacher is a certain Prof. Snape. Native speakers of English
automatically associate these names with something bad because
experience has taught them that expressions beginning with sl-
and sn- are overwhelmingly pejorative in meaning.
By listing selected vocabulary items according to
their initial-sound associations, I hope to arouse your interest and
facilitate memorization.
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Initial
Sounds Menu |
| cl-
fl-
gl-
sl-
sn-
st-
str-
sw-
wh-
wr- |
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cl-
words are often
related to the hands or to holding |
| claim |
to
want to get your hands on something |
| clamber |
climb
with hands and feet |
| clamp |
device
for holding things together |
| clap |
strike
the palms of one's hands together |
| clasp |
hold
tightly or closely |
| claw |
animal
nails; to scratch with claw-like nails |
| clench |
grasp
firmly |
| climb |
move
up or along by grasping or clinging |
| clinch |
grasp
firmly |
| cling |
maintain
a grasp on or keep hold of something |
| clip |
device
for holding things |
| clout |
heavy
blow with the hand |
| club |
hand-held
stick |
| clutch |
seize
eagerly |
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fl-
words often convey a sense of unimpeded movement for or in air or water |
| flag |
piece
of cloth that moves freely in the air |
| flagon |
large
bottle with handle and spout from which cider or wine can flow freely |
| flail
(v.i.) |
wave
or swing wildly |
| flap |
move
wings up and down while flying |
| flask |
narrow-necked
bottle from which drinks can flow freely |
| flee |
run
away to freedom |
| fleeting |
transient,
i.e. time passing swiftly |
| flexible |
pliable,
adaptable, versatile |
| flick |
sudden
release of bent finger to propel a small object through the air |
| flip |
flick
something like a coin so that it spins in the air |
| flit |
make
short leisurely flights like a bee between flowers |
| float |
rest
or move on the surface of a liquid without sinking |
| flop |
sway
about loosely and heavily like uncombed hair over one's face in a breeze |
| flotsam |
wreckage
found floating around freely |
| flow |
glide
along in an unimpeded stream; proceed smoothly |
| flue |
duct
or channel in a wall to convey smoke or hot air |
| fluency |
the
smooth easy flow of speech or writing |
| fluid |
liquid
able to flow and alter shape freely |
| flush |
clean
by using a rushing flow of water |
| flute |
a
wind instrument |
| flutter |
the
same as to flap but usually with smaller or less confident wings, like
those of a butterfly |
| flux |
a
continual process of ebbing and flowing |
| fly |
move
freely through the air in a controlled fashion |
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gl-
words often relate
to the behavior of light or the shade of one's mood |
| glad |
happy, pleased, as if you had sunshine in your
heart
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| glamour |
looks
or beauty eye-catchingly beaming or radiant |
| glance |
a
flash or gleam of light; sunlight glances off a knife |
| glare |
of
light that is dazzlingly and uncomfortably bright |
| glass |
a
material that allows light to pass through it |
| glaze |
a
smooth, light-reflecting surface |
| gleam |
of
a light source that shines faintly or intermittently |
| glee |
sunny
feeling things are not going well for your foes |
| glim |
a
weak light; archaic English for a lantern or candle |
| glimmer |
a
weak or intermittently shining source of light or hope |
| glimpse
(v.i.) |
shine
faintly or intermittently; in poetry, to dawn |
| glint |
cause
or reflect a quick flash of light |
| glisten |
shine
and sparkle like snow in the sunshine |
| glister
[archaic] |
sparkle
or glitter |
| glitter |
sparkle
and shine with showy brilliance |
| glitz
[slang] |
a
superficial display of showy brilliance |
| gloaming
[poetic] |
dusk
or twilight |
| gloat |
have
a bright, triumphant feeling after gaining some advantage
— probably
at someone else's expense! |
| gloom |
partial
darkness; a dismal situation or feeling of despair |
| gloriole |
a
circle of light around the head of a sacred person |
| glory |
a
bright
experience of honor, fame or exaltation |
| gloss |
a
bright sheen or lustre on a surface |
| glow |
emit
a steady light and heat without flame |
| glum |
feeling
or looking gloomy; having dark thoughts |
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sl-
words have overwhelmingly pejorative connotations |
| slack |
not
taut; negligent, remiss |
| slag
[slang] |
prostitute
or promiscuous woman |
| slam |
throw
shut |
| slammer
[slang] |
prison |
| slander |
defame
someone falsely |
| slang |
very
informal or unofficial language |
| slanted |
biased |
| slap |
hit
with the palm of the hand |
| slapdash |
rushed
and careless |
| slap-happy |
treating
serious things lightly |
| slash |
cut
with random, sweeping movement |
| slate |
scold |
| slaughter |
kill
in a ruthless manner |
| slave |
person
who has to work for nothing |
| slaver |
dribble;
servile flattery |
| slay |
kill |
| sleaze |
sordid
details |
| sleazy |
dirty
and probably dishonest, sordid |
| sleepy |
drowsy |
| sleet |
mixture
of snowfall and rainfall |
| sleight
[archaic] |
cunning;
deceptive trick |
| sleuth |
prying
detective |
| slick |
insincere |
| slide |
slip
along, slither |
| slight |
insult |
| slime |
thick
slippery mud or similar goo |
| slimy |
disgustingly
dishonest or flattering |
| sling |
throw
quickly and carelessly |
| slink |
sneak |
| slip |
slide
unintentionally |
| slit |
cut
or tear lengthwise |
| slither |
slide
with an irregular motion |
| slob
[colloq.] |
coarse
person |
| slobber |
slaver |
| slog |
hit
wildly |
| slogan |
short,
easily remembered phrase, not usually objective |
| sloppy |
careless |
| slosh [slang] |
hit
hard |
| sloth |
indolence,
laziness |
| slouch |
droop |
| slough |
swamp |
| slovenly |
careless |
| slow |
unhurried;
laggardly; tedious |
| slub |
warp
or fabric of uneven thickness |
| sludge |
mire,
slush |
| slug |
slimy
mollusc and garden pest |
| sluggard |
lazy
person |
| sluggish |
slow-moving,
inactive or inert |
| slum |
squalid
living quarters |
| slumber |
sleep;
be drowsy, idle or inactive |
| slump |
sudden
decline in trade or business |
| slur |
pronounce
indistinctly; insult someone |
| slurp |
drink
noisily |
| slush |
mire,
mud or dirty melting snow |
| slut
[slang] |
prostitute
or promiscuous woman |
| sly |
crafty,
cunning, wily |
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sn-
words also have a pejorative tendency but are not as bad as
sl-
words |
| snack |
not
a full, quality meal |
| snag |
unexpected
obstacle |
| snail |
slow-moving
mollusc |
| snake |
long,
limbless, often poisonous reptile |
| snap |
break
suddenly or unexpectedly |
| snare |
trap |
| snarl |
angry
growl |
| snatch |
seize
suddenly, quickly and impolitely |
| sneak |
go
or convey something furtively |
| sneer |
derisive
smile or remark |
| sneeze |
sudden
involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and mouth |
| snicker |
whinny
or neighing sound |
| snide |
slyly
derogatory; mean, underhand |
| sniffy
[colloq.] |
inclined
to sniff; disdainful, contemptuous |
| snigger |
half-suppressed
secretive laugh |
| snipe |
hide
and fire shots at long range |
| snit |
rage
or sulk |
| snitch
[slang]
|
steal
or inform on someone |
| snivel |
cry
while sniffling with a runny nose |
| snob |
person
who looks down on those (s)he regards as social inferiors |
| snook
[slang]
|
type
of contemptuous gesture |
| snoop
[colloq.] |
pry |
| snooty |
supercilious,
conceited |
| snore |
breathing
with a grunting or snorting sound while asleep |
| snort |
sound
made by suddenly forcing breath out through the nose |
| snot
[slang]
|
nasal
mucus |
| snotty
[slang]
|
contemptible
or conceited |
| snout
[slang]
|
derogatory
term for a nose or an informer |
| snub |
rebuff |
| snuff
it [slang] |
die |
| snuffy |
annoyed,
irritable or contemptuous |
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st-
words often mean a general lack of movement, or activity that is confined |
| stab |
deep,
sharp cut in one place |
| stable |
steady,
unwavering; place of confinement for horses |
| stack |
pile
or heap in one place |
| stage |
fixed
place or point |
| stagger |
hesitate,
waver |
| stagnant |
motionless |
| stagnate |
become
motionless |
| stain |
a
mark that won't budge |
| stake |
pole
to mark fixed position; fixed sum of money as a wager |
| stale |
of
food left untouched for too long |
| stalemate |
position
where you're unable to make any new move |
| stalk |
pursue
and so not move away from someone |
| stall |
stop
suddenly |
| stamina |
staying
power |
| stammer |
get
stuck on the same sound when speaking |
| stamp |
bring
something down hard on one particular place |
| stance |
fixed
attitude or position |
| stand |
remain
upright in one place |
| standard |
fixed
value or norm |
| staple |
fixed
main element |
| star |
fixed
point in the sky |
| starch |
fabric
stiffener |
| stare |
look
fixedly |
| startle |
shock
someone so their heart skips a beat |
| starve |
no
movement in the digestive system |
| stash [colloq.] |
keep
something safe or hidden in one particular place |
| state |
fixed
condition |
| static |
not
moving |
| station |
place
where a train stops |
| stationary |
remaining
in one place |
| statistics |
established
figures or data |
| statue |
fixed
figure of a person |
| status |
fixed
condition or social position |
| statute |
fixed
regulation |
| stay |
not
move away |
| steadfast |
constant,
unwavering |
| steady |
firm,
persistent, unfaltering |
| stealth |
indiscernible
movement |
| stench |
foul
smell that sticks around |
| stencil |
holed
sheet of plastic to create a fixed design with a pencil on paper |
| step |
fixed
position on the way somewhere |
| sterile |
barren |
| stern |
with
a fixed severity |
| stew |
cook
slowly in one place for a long time |
| stick |
affix
something so it doesn't move |
| stiff |
rigid,
inflexible |
| stifle |
suppress
development |
| stigma |
discredit
that won't go away |
| still |
not
moving |
| stilted |
stiff
and unnatural |
| sting |
sharp
wound from insect in one particular place |
| stingy |
mean,
i.e.
no hand movement toward one's wallet |
| stink |
emit
foul smell that won't go away easily |
| stipend |
regular
fixed allowance |
| stipulate |
establish
as a fixed rule or condition |
| stock |
stationary
supply of goods |
| stodgy |
of
food, heavy and indigestible |
| stoical |
unmoved
emotionally |
| stooge |
compliant
person who sticks to instructions |
| stop |
suspend
movement |
| store |
keep
stationary supply of goods |
| stow |
pack
goods tightly into one place so they don't move |
| stubborn |
exhibiting
no movement in one's thinking |
| stud |
male
horse kept primarily for breeding rather than transport |
| study |
hold
head still over a book for a long time |
| stuff |
pack
material tightly into one place so it doesn't move |
| stuffy |
of
a room with no air movement or a person unwilling to change diehard
conservative thinking |
| stump |
puzzle,
i.e. render someone's brain cells inactive |
| stun |
knock
someone senseless so they can't move |
| stunt |
retard
growth or development |
| stupefy |
stop
someone's brain cell activity |
| stupid |
without
brain cell activity |
| stupor |
dazed
state preventing normal bodily activity |
| sturdy |
strong
and robust so it stands still in a storm |
| stutter |
get
stuck on the same sound when speaking |
| sty |
pen
to prevent pigs from moving about too much |
| style |
a
fixed appearance or form of something |
| stymie |
cause
an obstruction to bring someone to a halt |
| styptic
pencil |
stick
with chemical to stop small cuts bleeding |
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| str-
words mostly convey narrowness, but sometimes the very
opposite: a dispersion or spreading out in space or time |
| straddle |
stand
across something with your legs spread out in straight line |
| straggle |
trail
behind in race or line of people; become dispersed/sporadic |
| straight |
extending
unvaryingly in the same direction |
| strain |
stretch
tightly; apply sustained pressure to something |
| strait |
narrow
stretch of water separating two seas |
| strake |
continuous
line of plates or planking from stem to stern of a ship |
| strand
[poetic] |
the
margin of a lake, river or sea |
| strangle |
narrow
the windpipe, freedom of expression, etc. |
| strap |
long
narrow strip of leather or other material used for fastening |
| strategy |
series
of calculated plans implemented over a period of time |
| stratum,
strata |
layer
of rock or the atmosphere; sometimes even a social class |
| straw |
long
thin dry cut stalk of grain; thin tube to suck drinks through |
| stray |
wander
off course into a wider area than intended or allowed |
| streak |
long
thin line or band; row of similar happenings; character trait |
| stream |
narrow
river or waterway; flow of something in a certain direction |
| street |
long
straight surface for vehicles to move along |
| strenuous |
requiring
the channeling of energy |
| stress |
sustained
pressure on material objects/mental tension in humans |
| stretch |
pull
on something so it becomes taut, or longer and narrower than it already is |
| strew |
scatter
or spread all over a surface, perhaps a very wide area |
| strickle |
narrow
straight-edged
bar to level off exact measure of grain, etc. |
| strict |
adhering
to/enforcing a straight and narrow pattern of behavior |
| stride |
walk
in a narrow path straight ahead with long, firm steps |
| string |
length
of narrow cord/twine or, on music instruments, wire/catgut |
| strip |
a
long, narrow and usually flat piece of something |
| stripe |
a
long narrow strip differing in color from surfaces on either side |
| strive |
make
a sustained effort to achieve something over time |
| strobe |
light
flashing at narrow intervals |
| stroke |
sweep
one's hand gently over the surface of something |
| stroll |
walk
or saunter leisurely and with a sense of freedom |
| strop |
leather
strip for sharpening razors |
| struggle |
put
up a sustained fight against hardship or restrictions |
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sw-
words connote various kinds of movement, often purposeful in nature |
| swaddle |
throw
a garment around an infant and wrap it tightly |
| swag |
sag
heavily and sway from side to side |
| swage |
tool
for bending metal |
| swagger |
walk
arrogantly or with a sense of self-importance |
| swallow |
move
one's oesophagus; a fast-moving migratory bird |
| swamp |
inundate
an area with a sudden onrush of water |
| swap |
move
goods between two people in a mutual exchange |
| swarm |
many
insects moving together in a widespread cloud |
| swash
[archaic] |
strike
violently; swagger |
| swat |
hit
something hard with a rapid movement of the arm |
| swathe |
throw
a garment around something and wrap it tightly |
| sway |
move
back and forth irregularly like a tree in a gale |
| swear |
let
the tongue loose with profane or indecent expletives |
| sweep |
move
like a broom across a floor |
| swell |
move
toward enlargement or increase in size |
| swerve |
move
suddenly in an effort to rapidly change course |
| swift |
fast-moving;
a fast-flying bird resembling a swallow |
| swig |
move
lots of drink down your throat in large draughts |
| swill |
move
water over/through something to rinse or flush it |
| swim |
propel
the body through water by moving arms and legs |
| swindle |
dishonestly
remove money from another person's pocket |
| swing |
move
to and fro while in suspension |
| swipe |
hit
something hard with a sweeping arm-movement |
| swirl |
move
or carry along with a whirling motion |
| swish |
move
through the air with an audible swinging sound |
| switch |
move
position or from one thing to another |
| swivel |
a
coupling that allows a part to rotate independently |
| swoon |
fall
toward the ground in a fit of fainting |
| swoop |
descend
rapidly after eying something on the ground |
| swoosh |
move
with the sound of a sudden rush of air or liquid |
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wh-
words are frequently associated with sounds caused by
rapid movements of or through air |
| whack |
a
resounding blow |
| wham |
the
sound of a forceful impact |
| whang |
the
sound of a heavy strike or blow |
| whaup |
particular
cry of a curlew (bird also known as a whaup in Scotland) |
| wheeze |
to
breathe with an audibly chesty sound |
| whew |
sound
of air rushing through lips to express relief or surprise |
| whicker |
a
very gentle whinny made by a horse |
| whim,
whimsy |
a
sudden bout of capriciousness, perhaps accompanied by a sigh |
| whimper |
a
soft whine or feeble, frightened cry |
| whinchat |
a
small songbird |
| whine |
the
drawn-out wailing sound of an unhappy dog; feeble or undignified
complaining by humans |
| whinge |
to
whine constantly and irritatedly, so that it gets on other people's
nerves |
| whinny |
the
softer neighing sound characteristic of a contented horse |
| whip |
a
lash on a handle producing a high-pitched sound as it passes through the
air |
| whir,
whirr |
a
constant, rapid buzzing sound, such as that from a helicopter's rotor
blades in motion |
| whirl |
to
swing something round and round, probably causing an audible whirr |
| whirligig |
a
fast-spinning or whirling toy |
| whirlybird [colloq.] |
a
helicopter |
| whisk |
a sudden
sweeping movement that creates a rush of air |
| whisper |
to
speak without using the vocal cords |
| whistle |
air
forced through nearly closed, rounded lips to produce a shrill but
variable sound |
| whiz,
whizz |
the
sound made by an object flying through the air at high speed |
| whiz-kid,
whizz-kid |
a
highly successful young person who whizzes up the career ladder |
| whoop |
a
sharp, wheezing sound accompanying the intake in of breath, as in
whooping cough |
| whoosh |
the
sound of something rushing through the air |
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wr-
words mostly involve bending or twisting, either
physically or metaphorically |
| wrack |
a
wreck or wreckage |
| wrangle |
mind-bending
altercation or rowdy dispute |
| wrap |
to
fold a soft material such as paper or cloth around something |
| wraith |
a
mind-bending spectral apparition or ghost |
| wrath |
mind-bending
anger or rage |
| wreak |
to
cause (wrack and ruin, damage, chaos, etc.) |
| wreath |
flowers
or leaves flattened and twisted into a ring |
| wreck,
wreckage |
usually
a heap of twisted metal after a crash or explosion |
| wrench |
a
violent twist or tug at a slanting angle, usually to pull something off
of something |
| wrest |
to
wrench or force something out of someone's hand |
| wrestle |
to
grapple with and body-twist a fighting opponent so that he or or she
ends up on the ground |
| wretch |
a
pitiable unfortunate whose existence has been twisted awry |
| wriggle |
to
move along in twisting, writhing movements like a worm |
| wring |
to
twist wet clothes to squeeze the water out of them; to kill by twisting
the neck |
| wrinkle |
a
crease in the skin |
| wrist |
a
highly flexible, rotatable link connecting your hand to the rest of your
arm |
| write |
to
hold a pen and with fine, twisting movements of the hand put words to
paper |
| writhe |
to
twist one's body and roll around, as if in pain |
| wrong |
mistaken,
unjust, abnormal, out of place or awry |
| wrought |
of
metals flattened or beaten into shape through hammering |
| wry,
awry |
contorted
or distorted; a wry facial expression is one twisted in disapproval or
mockery;
and if something is awry it has been knocked askew or twisted out of
normal alignment |
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