Phonetics Quotes

“Why do we say razzle-dazzle instead of dazzle-razzle? Why super-duper, helter-skelter, harum-scarum, hocus-pocus, willy-nilly, hully-gully, roly-poly, holy moly, herky-jerky, walkie-talkie, namby-pamby, mumbo-jumbo, loosey-goosey, wing-ding, wham-bam, hobnob, razza-matazz, and rub-a-dub-dub? I thought you'd never ask. Consonants differ in "obstruency"—the degree to which they impede the flow of air, ranging from merely making it resonate, to forcing it noisily past an obstruction, to stopping it up altogether. The word beginning with the less obstruent consonant always comes before the word beginning with the more obstruent consonant. Why ask why?”
― Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language

“Welsh mutates initial consonants. Actually all languages do, but most of them take centuries, while Welsh does it while your mouth is still open.”
― Jo Walton, Among Others

“Don't confuse pressure with pleasure. For some people it"s not sure if they are having a seizure or ceasure”
― Ana Claudia Antunes, The DAO (Dancing As One) Workbook Illustrated

“Todo lo que sea acercarse poco a poco, evolutivamente, a la ortografía fonética es un progreso, como son un retroceso todos esos signos inútiles, como la h de harmonía o la b de obscuro.”
― Miguel de Unamuno