What is the bouba-kiki effect?

The bouba kiki effect is an example of sound symbolism, a resemblance between what something sounds like and its meaning.

Hosted by Dr. Erica Brozovsky, Otherwords is a PBS web series on Storied that digs deep into this quintessential human trait of language and finds the fascinating, thought-provoking, and funny stories behind the words and sounds we take for granted. Incorporating the fields of biology, history, cultural studies, literature, and more, linguistics has something for everyone and offers a unique perspective on what it means to be human.

Otherwords is a production of Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

[AdamYJ]

This explains why someone at Nintendo once described naming their round character Kirby (“Kabi”) as unconventional because it was a “sharp name”.

[GSBarlev]

Kiwis—the fruits and the birds that look like the fruit: "I didn't understand the assignment"

[Thanos_Kyriakopoulos]

Me: I must focus on the essentials in order to improve my life
The internet: bouba kiki

[SebastianJArt]

This is crazy: I was just reading a book called “Born on a Blue Day” that explains this very experiment. Reading that very page when this popped up. I am shook.

[megan]

My tummy is bouba, but at least my ankles are kiki! 😅

[Mariana]

Also visually the word kiki doesn't have any curves, it has lines similar to spikes (the k is a line with two spikes coming out of it) while bouba is written exclusively with letters that have curves. The written form of the word mimics what we see in it's shape, making it easier to make the association.

[nathanlongo]

Bouba-kiki sounds like something Stitch would say

[angelinawhatsherface]

Its like the scrimbly and bompus cat pair dynamic. Theres always a scrimbly and a bompus in every cat pair.

[tastyhaze]

Currently drinking an extra-strength ginger beer, an extremely kiki beverage

[deadpuppets]

I named my son Bubba (pronounced Bouba) and my daughter Kiki. My son is round but my girl is sharp as a tack.

[tmote-O]

This feels like an inappropriate conversation. I'm just gonna go.

[InsistentlyInterdisciplinary]

I actually work in this field. It is great fun and I love that videos about it really excite public attention - that is exactly how I started out!

[Herby_fully_loaded]

I love these shorts ❤ I always learn something new and damn fascinating 🥰

[SalemYbor]

In France however, kiki is a synonym of zizi, which isn't an abbreviation of Zinedine Zidane but refers to the male anatomy...

[Eowar]

How universal is this? I'll grant this seems likely in English, maybe even across European languages, but what about Chinese or Arabic speakers?

[berserkirclaws]

That's why I can't understand the parents who randomly choose names for their kids!
A name is so important in someone's life .
Like mine who has been chosen from the main protagonist of the movie "The Omen" 😒 ... I'm not even kidding and I which I was.
Lucky I'm manage to work that one out.😂

[socalninjaturtle]

I just read it as you first had it, which was opposite
But after the explanation, i guess it makes sense

[anaeyeyeyeyey]

There's also a situation where something similar happened. This chocolate firm got sold and when the new owners took over they started making changes. They didn't change the recipe, but rather changed the chocolate bars, from square to round ones. And people started complaining because now the chocolate was too "sweet". Really funny how formats also affect taste, and other senses haha

[daniellozano]

Wow ! Im going through speech therapy right now . I could use this to help me speak .

[dominuspopuli]

Monty Python had a skit where they called some words wooden and some tinny.