This research investigates sound symbolism: the relationship between particular speech sounds and perceived meanings. By analysing animal names in English, French, and Spanish, it examines whether consonants, vowels, and syllable stress correspond with characteristics such as size and danger, helping explain language evolution and potentially informing language learning and word creation.
2026
This research explores how accents form in multilingual Malaysia, showing that subtle combinations of consonant and vowel features distinguish speakers. Even a single word carries identifiable acoustic cues. The findings highlight how listeners rapidly perceive identity through speech and emphasize the human complexity underlying language in an era of speech technology.