Poets Have Picked the Most Beautiful Word in English

Poetry Society of America survey crowns 'diaphanous' as its top pick
Posted Jul 17, 2026 11:45 AM CDT
Updated Jul 19, 2026 2:19 PM CDT
Poets Have Picked the Most Beautiful Word in English
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Synthetic-Exposition)

English speakers may be sleeping on "diaphanous." The language-learning app Babbel asked 1,500 members of the Poetry Society of America to pick the most beautiful word in English, tapping into a short list drawn from The 100 Most Beautiful Words in English by linguist Robert Beard, per the London Times. Topping the list with 17% of the vote was "diaphanous," a term for something light, fine, and see-through, often applied to delicate fabric. "Ethereal" floated into second with 12%, followed by "mellifluous" in third with 10%. Not all of the suggested words centered on love or beauty, per the Telegraph: "Euthanasia" and "diarrhea," for example, were among the submissions. Here, the rest of the top 10:

  1. Diaphanous
  2. Ethereal
  3. Mellifluous
  4. Halcyon
  5. Susurrous
  6. Lithe
  7. Epiphany
  8. Effervescent
  9. Love
  10. Eloquent
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