Two magical lands exist. One is inhabited by friendly tribes who cultivate grain, while the other is a homeland to ruthless hunters driven by greed and conflict. Can you guess which land bears the name Grataka and which one is known as Lamoniana?

Hold onto your guess; we’ll revisit it shortly. This post explores a little-known copywriting strategy and its effectiveness in crafting persuasive copy. Don’t let the complex name intimidate you - this strategy is surprisingly straightforward. Let’s delve in.

Unlocking the Power of Phonosemantics

Phonosemantics (also known as phonoaesthesia or sound symbolism) proposes a fascinating idea: the sounds of words carry inherent meanings. Each sound, or phoneme, evokes a specific psychological response. While onomatopoeias directly mimic the sounds they represent, phonosemantics extends this concept, suggesting that any word can create an impression based on its pronunciation. It’s like psychology woven into copywriting. This explains why you likely associated Grataka with the ruthless hunters: The harshness of the sounds /g/ and /k/, coupled with the abrupt rhythm and short vowels, create an impression of harshness. Conversely, the inhabitants of Lamoniana appear more agreeable due to the softer sounds of /l/, /m/, and /n/, the elongated vowels, and the smoother, multi-syllabic rhythm of their land’s name.

Sounds with Significance: Phonosemantic Associations

To better understand phonosemantics, consider these phonemes and the associations they trigger:

• /r/ – evokes a sense of movement and activity
• /p/ – suggests precision and patience
• /mp/, /str/ – convey force and effort
• /o/, /u/, /e/ – project power, strength, and authority
• /b/ – brings to mind roundness, size, and volume
• /i/, /ee/ – imply smallness and tenderness
• /gl/ – evoke shining, smoothness, and brightness
• /l/, /n/ – suggest softness and gentleness The concept of phonosemantics is far from new.
• Ancient Hindu philosophical texts (The Upanishads) classify mute consonants (b, c, d, f, g, p, t) as representing earthly elements like fire and the eyes; sibilants (/s/) as representing the sky, air, and ear; and vowels as representing celestial elements like heaven, the sun, and the mind.
• Plato believed that names should reflect the essence of things, including the characteristics of their sounds. In his work Cratylus, he proposed the letter and sound /r/ to convey motion and activity.
• Lomonosov, a renowned Russian scientist and poet, advised writers to employ the repetition of /i/, /e/, and /yu/ to create a sense of tenderness, pleasantness, and softness, while repeating /o/, /u/, and /y/ to depict something eerie, dark, and cold.

Sound Symbolism and the Bouba-Kiki Effect

The underlying mechanism of sound symbolism remains a mystery, but one theory suggests it’s rooted in verbal gesture - the way our lips and tongue move to pronounce words. This concept, the bouba-kiki effect, emerged from a 1929 experiment that has been confirmed by more recent studies. In this experiment, participants were presented with the two shapes below and asked to identify which one was “bouba” and which one was “kiki.”

A striking 95% of participants labeled the spiky shape as “kiki” and the rounded one as “bouba.” This suggests an inherent alignment between these visual shapes and the way our mouths move to produce the corresponding sounds. Margaret Magnus, a leading researcher in sound symbolism, eloquently explains this phenomenon in her book Gods in the Word:

• Words beginning with /b/ often relate to concepts like “barriers, bulges, and bursting” because our lips press together, momentarily obstructing airflow when we produce the /b/ sound. This creates a build-up of pressure, resulting in a bulge and a burst of sound.
• Conversely, when we pronounce “kiki,” our lips constrict, and our tongue makes a sharp movement, making the “kiki” shape more likely to be perceived as angular. Another theory posits that this connection stems from the interplay between the sensory and motor regions of our brains. Upon hearing a sound, our brains don’t immediately jump to an abstract concept but instead associate it with a shape, a color, or an emotion – and then react accordingly. While many linguists dismiss phonosemantics as lacking substantial evidence, traditional linguistic theories fail to offer alternative explanations for phenomena like the bouba-kiki effect.

Six Phonosemantic Copywriting Techniques to Captivate Your Readers

Applying phonosemantics in copywriting might seem daunting. Selecting and combining specific sounds to evoke desired emotions and perceptions in readers can feel like a tall order. Rest assured, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Sound symbolism is surprisingly approachable and can be incredibly useful when crafting business names, taglines, or compelling headlines. Here are six ways to weave sound symbolism into your content to engage readers and craft memorable messages:

1. The Power of Repetition & Alliteration

Repetition and alliteration are potent tools in your phonosemantic arsenal, making your writing more memorable and impactful. Naturally, you won’t solely focus on these sound devices when crafting your copy, emails, or other marketing materials. Think of them as valuable tools to deploy strategically in headlines, introductions, or conclusions. Observe how Aaron Orendorff incorporates them into his blog posts at iconiContent:

• /b/ is prominent—big, round, and loud
• Repetition is used to focus attention
• Alliteration encourages readers to pick up the pace

2. Engaging the Senses with Sensory Words

Phonosemantics extends beyond individual sounds to encompass the selection of sensory words. These words, primarily verbs and adjectives, paint vivid pictures in readers’ minds, allowing them to see, hear, taste, and feel your content. Henneke Duistermaat aptly describes them as more evocative than ordinary words due to their inherently descriptive phonetic nature. (Emotional words and phrases pack a punch too!) She identifies five categories of sensory words based on the senses they evoke:

1. Sight, conveying colors, shape, or appearance.
2. Hearing, describing or mimicking sounds.
3. Taste/smell, relating to tastes or odors, respectively.
4. Tactile, conveying concepts, feelings, and textures.
5. Motion, encompassing active words that describe movements.

While sensory words can significantly enhance your copywriting, avoid overusing them. A sprinkle of one or two in a headline or email subject line can effectively grab attention and infuse personality into your writing.

3. Creating Flow with Bucket Brigades

research highlights the impact of bucket brigades (aka transition words and phrases) on reader comprehension. These words enhance coherence by signaling structure and establishing logical connections between ideas. Bucket brigades contribute to a text’s readability, proving particularly valuable when introducing new topics. They act as signposts, guiding readers through the information and enticing them to continue reading. Let’s examine an example from my own past guest post, for SEMrush. You’ll notice the following bucket brigades:

• It is true; but it is also true
• More than that
• To cut a long story short
• Not very inspiring, huh?
• Keep reading to find out

Bucket brigades are also SEO copywriting allies. By captivating readers and keeping them engaged, they can boost click-through rates and dwell time.

4. The Power of Conversation

You might have noticed the conversational tone in the previous example. By strategically using bucket brigades, writers can evoke specific emotions in readers. These phrases activate the reader’s brain, creating a sense of dialogue rather than a one-sided lecture, making the text feel more dynamic and engaging. Here are some additional words and phrases to cultivate a conversational tone with bucket brigades:

• Look:
• Let me explain why
• Here’s the deal
• More than that
• On top of that
• In other words
• Put another way
• What does this mean?
• So what
• How so?
• My point is It’s worth noting that conversational writing is also trending in landing page design this year.

5. Making a Statement with Soundbites

Don’t overwhelm your reader with endless blocks of text. Break it up and ensure key points stick with strategically placed soundbites. Soundbites are those concise yet impactful phrases that distill the essence of your message, making it instantly memorable for your audience. Journalists and essayists might recognize this as a thesis statement, screenwriters might call it a logline, and speechwriters might refer to it as a slogan (find examples of unforgettable advertising slogans here). The key is to select words and stylistic devices that encapsulate your core message so effectively that your audience can’t help but remember it. John F. Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” is a prime example. The use of repetition and contrast in this soundbite makes it incredibly compelling. Employing metaphors, rhythm, and phonemes can further enhance your soundbite crafting skills. Let’s consider an example from Henneke Duistermaat’s blog post on Copyblogger:

Write less. Read more.

Talk listen more. What makes this effective?

• The alliteration of /r/ conveys a sense of action, motivating readers.
• The repetition of less/more establishes a compelling rhythm.
• The contrast of less – more / talk – listen / write – read) grabs attention and makes the takeaway memorable. Here are some effective ways to utilize soundbites:
• Place them strategically at the end of a paragraph or post to leave a lasting impression on your readers.
• Incorporate them at the beginning of a section to provide a concise “tl;dr” summary.
• Style them as standalone one-sentence paragraphs, using bold text or the callout quote feature in your CMS for visual emphasis.
• Transform them into tweetable quotes using click-to-tweet tools for easy sharing. Visually appealing and highly shareable, they encapsulate the essence of your blog posts, ensuring your message resonates.

6. Creating Harmony with Paragraph Rhythm

Engaging and impactful content flows smoothly, with each line naturally leading to the next. Beyond using bucket brigades, mastering paragraph length and rhythm is key to achieving this seamless flow. Take a look at this classic example from Gary Provost, author of Make Every Word Count:

This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.

Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length.

And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals—sounds that say listen to this, it is important. It’s all about crafting rhythm in your writing. Here’s how:

• Embrace short paragraphs with spaces between them, just like in this article. A quick glance should give the impression that your content is easy to digest. (After all, our brains tend to prefer efficiency, wouldn’t you agree? remember?)
• Alternate between short and long sentences (as demonstrated in Provost’s example) to create a more dynamic and engaging reading experience.
• Intersperse your content with the occasional one-sentence paragraph to draw attention to key ideas (think soundbites!), enhance flow, and create a touch of drama when needed.

Phonosemantics: A Powerful Tool in the Copywriter’s Toolkit

Copywriting might have its formulas, but it’s also an art form that thrives on creativity. While phonosemantics isn’t a magic solution for guaranteed engagement, reader adoration, or increased sales, it can become a powerful tool when wielded skillfully. Understanding the fundamentals of sound symbolism equips you to analyze content of all lengths, craft impactful brand names and slogans, and leverage psychology to influence purchasing decisions. Remember, while phonemes can evoke emotions and add depth to your writing, it’s the context and inherent value of your content that truly matter. Think of phonosemantics as a valuable ally rather than a tool for manipulation. Here’s a quick recap of the copywriting techniques we’ve explored:

1. Alliteration and repetition
2. Sensory words
3. Bucket brigades
4. Conversational language
5. Soundbites
6. Paragraph rhythm