word sound

plural word sounds

1. uncommonhuman sciencesA particular essence or quality evoked by a spoken word.

   Many people are able to imagine word-sounds with greater delicacy and discrimination than they can utter them.

   1925, I.A. Richards, Principles of Literary Criticism, page 119

   5 more examples

   Browning has been called unmusical, and, judged by common rules, I suppose his verse lacks melody; but for me, there is always in it a sort of spiritual harmony, which overrules the mere word-sound, and renders him one of the most musical of poets.

   1852, Grace Greenwood, Greenwood Leaves, A Collection of Sketches and Letters, page 293

   Word sound is musical. It is characterized by the two leading essentials of a musical sound, rhythm and melody, while yet the other elements, time and quality of sound, are not excluded.

   1873, I.N. Carleton, W.B. Dwight (editors), The Connecticut School Journal, page 9

   Now we know that it is the faculty of recalling the word-picture, aided by remembering the word-sound, which makes the good speller.

   1880, Mrs. R.R. Bird, “On Spelling”, in American Primary Teacher, volume 4, page 5

   Hence, whatever may be the sense in which the word sound may be used, there is no doubt of the fact that it is caused by the vibrations of the sounding body.

   1917, Atul Chandra Datta, A Text-Book of Sound, page 1

   In spite of this, the succession of word sounds leads to the formation of certain phonic formations and sound phenomena or characters of a new type which could not be evoked by individual word sounds.

   1973, Roman Ingarden, The Literary Work of Art, An Investigation on the Borderlines of Ontology, Logic, and Theory of Literature: with an Appendix on the Functions of Language in the Theater, page 47