50 Words That Taste Good in My Mouth

A completely unnecessary list from somebody overly interested in language

Photo by Hakuna Matata on Unsplash

I don’t know how to explain this properly without sounding completely insane, but some words just feel nice to say.

Not even because of what they mean necessarily.

Sometimes it’s the way they roll around your mouth. Sometimes it’s the rhythm of them. A word that just scratches your brain in exactly the right place for reasons that are probably beyond modern science.

For example, “luminous.”

Tell me that isn’t a fantastic word.

Luminous.

It glows. The word itself somehow feels shiny.

Meanwhile there are other words that sound deeply unpleasant regardless of what they mean. “Moist” has been publicly condemned for years now, but there are plenty of others that deserve investigation too.

Anyway, over the years, I’ve realized I’ve become weirdly emotionally attached to certain words.

This article has absolutely no educational value whatsoever, but these are 50 words that taste good in my mouth.

1. Plinth — Sounds like a magical object guarded by an old wizard in a cave somewhere.
2. Luminous — This word somehow physically glows.
3. Juniper — Sounds like somebody attractive in a fantasy novel.
4. Ember — Tiny glowing fireplace word.
5. Lagoon — This word is permanently on holiday.
6. Effervescent — Exactly what champagne bubbles would call themselves if they could speak.
7. Serendipity — A deeply whimsical word.
8. Obsidian — Sharp. Dark. Expensive. Fantastic word.
9. Tangerine — A very juicy-sounding word.
10. Biscuit — An absurdly comforting word.
11. Mellifluous — Sounds like somebody speaking beautifully while draped across a velvet sofa.
12. Solstice — This word feels ancient.
13. Halcyon — Sounds peaceful in a very expensive way.
14. Velvet — One of the smoothest words in existence.
15. Saffron — Tiny luxury spice. Tiny luxury word.
16. Marzipan — Sounds festive even if you hate marzipan itself.
17. Whisper — A word that practically lowers its own voice.
18. Labyrinth — Contains an unreasonable amount of drama.
19. Celestial — This word has never once touched the ground.
20. Aurora — Feels icy and glowing at the same time.
21. Cinnamon — Warm little autumn word.
22. Diabolical — Deliciously evil sounding.
23. Euphoria — Floats slightly above the sentence it’s in.
24. Renaissance — A deeply intelligent-looking word.
25. Elixir — A potion-word. Strong wizard energy.
26. Silhouette — Somehow elegant and mysterious simultaneously.
27. Cascade — This word falls beautifully.
28. Nebulous — Sounds like it drifted here from space.
29. Crystalline — Sharp little ice-princess word.
30. Glimmer — Tiny magical sparkle of a word.
31. Sonorous — Sounds exactly like what it means.
32. Dusk — One syllable. Entire atmosphere.
33. Iridescent — A mermaid word.
34. Tranquility — This word genuinely lowers my blood pressure slightly.
35. Opulent — A word wearing fur and holding a glass of champagne.
36. Moonlight — Soft, silver and slightly lonely.
37. Chandelier — Ridiculously dramatic object. Ridiculously dramatic word.
38. Riviera — Permanently drinking wine somewhere near the Mediterranean.
39. Ethereal — This word has never paid taxes.
40. Velvetine — Sounds like the glamorous villain in a fantasy novel.
41. Bourgeoisie — A very judgemental-looking word.
42. Tempest — A thunderstorm wearing a cape.
43. Cobblestone — Feels like European city streets after rain.
44. Luminescence — Luminous’ slightly more sophisticated cousin.
45. Mirage — This word disappears while you’re saying it.
46. Fable — Tiny storybook word.
47. Surrender — Weirdly beautiful despite the meaning.
48. Porcelain — Sounds expensive enough to break your heart if dropped.
49. Nocturnal — A word that definitely owns blackout curtains.
50. Velour — A deeply luxurious-sounding fabric word.

Anyway, I’m fully aware this is one of the most unnecessary articles I’ve ever written.

There is absolutely no practical takeaway here whatsoever.

Nobody’s life has improved because I think “plinth” is a fantastic word (it really is though).

But I think language is weirdly beautiful sometimes.

Human beings just made noises and collectively decided, ‘Yes. That sequence of sounds now means moonlight/waterfall/emotional devastation.’ — like, what?

That’s incredible when you really think about it.

Also, certain words simply sound delicious and I refuse to apologise for noticing.