Euphony
/ˈjuːfəni/
nounC1
Definition
Euphony is the quality of sounds that are pleasant and easy to listen to. It often refers to words or phrases that flow well together and sound beautiful. People use euphony in poetry, music, or speech to make the sound enjoyable.
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See It in Action
Pleasant, harmonious sound in language or music
- •The poet used euphony to make the poem sound beautiful.
- •The singer's voice had a natural euphony that pleased the audience.
- •The speech was full of euphony, making it enjoyable to listen to.
The quality of being smooth and sweet in sound
- •The euphony of the words helped calm the listeners.
- •Children love stories with euphony because they sound nice and fun.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "euphony" like "nice sound," but more about how smooth and pleasant the sounds are together.
- ✓Picture soft music or gentle waves that make you feel calm and happy.
- ✓It's the feeling when you hear a beautiful song or a poem that sounds very good.
- ✓Sounds like "YOU-funny" → imagine someone telling a funny story in a very sweet and smooth voice that makes you smile.
- ✓Think of a poem where the words flow like a gentle river, not rough or harsh.
- ✓NOT like "cacophony" (which means harsh, bad sounds), euphony is the opposite—soft and lovely sounds.
- ✓NOT like "noise" (random or loud sounds), euphony is organized and pleasant to the ear.
Try Other Words
- •Harmony: agreement of sounds that are pleasant together (Use when talking about music or sounds working well together)
- •Melody: a sequence of musical notes that sound good (Use when focusing on music tune)
- •Pleasant sound: any sound that is nice to hear (Use in everyday situations for simple descriptions)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "eu-" (good, well) + "phony" (sound)
- •Etymology: From Greek "eu" meaning good, and "phone" meaning voice or sound
- •Historical development: Used since the 1600s to describe beautiful or good sounds, especially in poetry and music
- •Modern usage: Used in literature, music, and speech to describe sounds that are smooth and pleasing to hear
Reflect & Connect
•How can using euphony in speech or writing change how people feel about what is said?
•Can you think of a time when a sound or voice made you feel calm or happy because of its euphony?
Fill in the blanks
1.Poets often choose words with euphony to create a ___ and smooth sound in their poems.
2.The euphony in her singing made the audience feel ___ and relaxed.
3.Unlike harsh noise, euphony is ___ and pleasant to hear.
4.When writing a speech, adding euphony can help the message ___ better to listeners.
5.The term euphony comes from Greek words meaning ___ and sound.
6.A good example of euphony is when words flow together ___ without rough or sharp sounds.
7.The difference between cacophony and euphony is that cacophony sounds ___, while euphony sounds smooth and nice.