Words with voices

Every word has a sound. That's obvious. Every word has a characteristic sound, that's understandable too. Some people, like linguists, poets, writers, or the like, even fall in love with some words just because of the sound of them! For example, I like the sound of beautiful -- the way your lips curl while making that eau is just, beautiful.

But this post is not about words having sounds (Another post may be). It's about words having voices. I feel words have voices. I hear them! I wonder if you have noticed this, but I some times do. Let me put this way, sometimes, when I read a paragraph, or a sentence, I hear that said out in a voice, but that voice, and perhaps the tone, is actually the weighted average of the individual voices of those words that I read (and no, the voices of the words are not because letters have voices too). Let me give a few examples.

So for instance, whenever I read the word 'exquisite', I hear in the voice of 30 something white american woman. I mostly get this voice when I am reading Apple product's feature list too. You know, the kind of voice that wants to sell something? in an alluring way? That voice. You probably guessed I hear the same voice with 'alluring' too. I could never imagine these words in the voice of a black person, or a Pakistani villager, or an Indian. This has to be white Caucasian, and female.

'Clarity' -- just close your eyes and say that word. Clarity. When I do that, I hear this in the voice of 20 something young woman. Intellectual, honest. One with a honey-thick voice. I didn't say honey sweet voice, and I didn't see thick voice. It's just, the voice flows, slowly, like honey does.

Another word, 'I', It's a complete word, mind you. A very powerful word, and according to some, even dangerous too. I always hear that in a voice too. In my own voice :) Same goes for a lot of other words too, like 'Hahahaha!', but if that 'HAHAHAH' is in all caps, or all lowercase, I don't hear it in my own voice.

Another example is 'guilty' - whenever I read it, I hear it in the voice of a 12-15 year old boy, who is a debater, delivering some speech. Trying to look like he is making a point. I can't imagine this word in the voice of any 40 year old or something, and if in a story or something, it is said by someone other than the said teenager, I don't usually hear a voice.

Another word is 'seminar', I hear this in the voice of that sophomore girl who is doing really well in AIESEC.

That's just me. That is to say, that's just the result of picked up biases, prejudices, experiences etc.

But, like I said, that's just me.