BENJAMIN K. SHISLER Go to my language page Go to my homepage

Dictionary of English Phonesthemes

• Brief Summary of English Initial-Cluster Phonesthemes
• Initial Cluster Phonesthemes Part 1
• Initial Cluster Phonesthemes Part 2
• Initial Cluster Phonesthemes Part 3
• Final Cluster Phonesthemes (Rimes) Part 1
• Final Cluster Phonesthemes (Rimes) Part 2
• Vowel Phonesthemes
• Ablaut Modifications
• The Influence of Phonesthesia on the English Language (a paper)
  • About the Dictionary of English Phonesthemes
• Homepage of Benjamin Shisler

Brief Summary of English Initial-Cluster Phonesthemes:

• /p/ is a powerful, poignant, piercing plosive that can pop, punch, puff, and pounce.
• /p/ is a pale, pious, pitiful, piddling, paltry, petty pest.

• /sp/ spits, spouts, spurts, sputters, spews, and speaks.
• /sp/ is a spike, a spire, a spur, a spine, and a spear.
• /sp/ sparkles with spunk, spice, speed, and spirit.
• /sp/ specially spoils with spud, spam, spackle, and spatula.

• /t/ titters, teases, tingles, tickles, and titillates.
• /t/ tumbles topsy-turvy into tempest and turmoil.
• /t/ tackles with tussles, temper-tantrums, tiffs, and tizzies.
• /t/ taps into tipsy tankards at the tavern.
• /t/ is ticked, touchy, tangled, teathered, taut, and tight.
• /t/ is tepid, timid, temperate, timely, tact, and teetotaling.

• /st/ is stable, stalwart, staunch, steadfast, steady, stolid, stout, and sturdy.
• /st/ is starchy, steely, stern, stiff-necked, stubborn, and stuffy.
• /st/ stalls, stays, sticks, stops, stubs, stumps, and stanches.
• /st/ stamps, stampedes, starts, startles, steps, stimulates, stings, stirs, stomps, storms, and stuns.

• /k/ calls, coughs, cackles, kicks, cuffs, and kisses.

• /sk/ scuffles, skips, scuttles, scoots, scampers, scurries, and skedaddles.

• /b/ barks, bellows, burps, babbles, buzzes, bawls.
• /b/ bounces, boings, bumps, bangs, and bashes.

• /d/ dashes, dabs, dapples, dithers.
• /d/ dangles, dodders, and dandles.
• /d/ is a dead, dull, dumpy dud.

• /g/ gushes, gabs, giggles, and guffaws.
• /g/ gurgles, gargles, guzzles, gorges, and gobbles.

• /f/ fizzes, fizzles, fuddles, fidgets, fusses, and farts.
• /f/ is fond of phatic phonics.

• /c/ thunders, thuds, thunks, and thumps.

• /s/ sucks, soaks, sops, sips, seeps, sizzles, and sighs.

• /S/ shambles, shakes, shocks, shushes, and shoos.

• /C/ chatters, chit-chats, chirps, cheeps, chirrs, chuckles, and chortles.
• /C/ chimes, chinks, and chugs.

• /h/ hushes, hisses, huffs, hems and haws, hoots, honks, howls, and hums.

• /v/ is vile, vicious, vehement, and vexing. /v/ is vested with verve, vigor, vim, and vibes.

• /z/ zigzags, zips, zooms, zings, and zaps.

• /J/ jingles, jangles, jibbers, jabbers, jars, jumbles, jeers, and jests.
• /J/ jabs, jags, jogs, jumps, jerks, jounces, and jiggles.

• /pl/ is plump and plops, plunges, and plashes.

• /spl/ splashes, splatters, splinters, and splurges.

• /kl/ clatters, clamors, clicks, clacks, clangs, clumps, clamps, clomps, clops, and clunks.

• /bl/ blows, blazes, and blisters as a blizzard.
• /bl/ bleats, blurts, blubbers, and blabs
• /bl/ is a blot, a blob, a blister and a bleb.

• /gl/ glitters, glimmers, gleams, glistens, glows, glares, and glimpses into the gloom.
• /gl/ gloms, glops, and globs as glue.

• /fl/ flutters, flaps, flies, flits, flitters, floats, flows, and flushes in a flurry of fluid.
• /fl/ flipflops, flickers, flares, and flags.

• /sl/ slides, slithers, slips, slogs, slumps, and slouches.
• /sl/ slays, slaughters, slits, slashes, slings, slams, and slaps.
• /sl/ is slime, slough, slobber, slop, slush, and sludge.

• /r/ rings, rattles, rustles, raps, roars, and rumbles.
• /r/ wrenches, wrests, wrestles, wrings, wrinkles, and wriggles.

• /sw/ swiftly sweeps, swings, sways, swirls, swims, swoops, swerves, and swooshes.

• /pr/ pricks, prickles, and prods.
• /pr/ prates, prattles, and preaches.

• /spr/ springs, sprouts, spreads, sprawls, sprays, and sprinkles.

• /br/ brashly brawls and brabbles as a brat.

• /tr/ treads, trods, tramps, tramples, trudges, trots, and treks down a track on trip.
• /tr/ trickles in a trough as treacle.

• /str/ straddles, strolls, struts, strikes, and strafes.
• /str/ strives to struggle against stress, strain, and stricture with strength.
• /str/ straddles, straggles, strands, streams, stretches, strews, and strings out.

• /kr/ cracks, creaks, croaks, crashes, crushes, crackles, crunches, cricks, and cronks.
• /kr/ crumples, crumps, crimps, cringes, cranks, crisps, creeps, crawls, and crouches.

• /skr/ scrapes, scritches, screams, screeches, and scrunches.
• /skr/ scrubs, scrambles, scribbles, and scrawls.

• /dr/ drips, dribbles, drools, dredges, drizzles, drops, droops, and drags with the dross, dregs and the dreck.

• /gr/ grumbles gruffly, gripes, grouses, growls and grimly grabs, gropes and grapples.

• /cr/ throbs, throttles, throws and thrusts.

• /Sr/ shrieks and shreds like shrill shrapnel.

• /w/ wags, wiggles, waggles, wades, wobbles, and wangles.
• /w/ whines, whimpers, weeps, whistles, whispers, whirls, whips, whishes, whinnies, whizzes, whiffs, whiffles, whacks, and whooshes.

• /tw/ twitters, tweets, twirls, twists, twinges, twangs, tweaks, and twittle-twattles.

• /kw/ quakes, quivers, quavers, and quacks.

• /skw/ squeals, squeaks, squawks, squirks, and squanks.
• /skw/ squirts, squabbls, squiggles, squirms, and squeezes.

• /m/ murmurs, mutters, mumbles, mews, moos, and munches.
• /m/ mopes in a mad, muddled, miffed, mean mood
• /m/ is mired in milky marshy muck, mucus, and merde.

• /sm/ smashes, smacks, smooshes, smears, and smells of smut and smegma.

• /Sm/ is a shmaltzy schmuck and a schmoozing schmo.

• /sn/ snarls, sneers, snickers, sniffles, sniffs, sneezes, and snorts with a snide, snooty snout.

• /j/ yells, yelps, yaps, yaks, yatters, and yammers.