Language is weird. We spend most of our lives trying to sound professional, articulate, or at least coherent, but then a word like "bumfuzzle" enters the room and everything falls apart. It’s a glitch in the matrix of human communication. Some sounds are just objectively hilarious to the human ear, and honestly, there is actual science behind why your brain perks up when it hears something absurd.
We aren't just talking about puns or jokes. We are talking about the phonology of funny words to say. It is about the "k" sounds, the "p" sounds, and the way your mouth has to do a little dance just to get the syllables out. If you’ve ever felt a sudden urge to say "shenanigans" in a serious board meeting, you’re not losing your mind. You’re just reacting to the inherent joy of linguistics.
The "K" Factor and why some sounds are just funnier
There is an old comedy trope that words with a "k" sound are inherently funnier. Think about it. Cupcake. Kodak. Kalamazoo. This isn't just a hunch held by Vaudeville performers; it’s a concept often discussed in linguistics and comedy circles alike. The "k" sound, or the voiceless velar plosive, requires a sharp burst of air from the back of the throat. It’s aggressive. It’s sudden. It’s a tiny explosion in your mouth.
Compare the word "leaf" to the word "kumquat." "Leaf" is airy and soft. It’s a whisper. "Kumquat" is a rhythmic, percussive event. Researchers at the University of Alberta actually dug into this, using a computer algorithm to predict which non-words people would find funny. They found that entropy plays a huge role. Basically, if a word is improbable—meaning it doesn’t follow the standard "smooth" patterns we expect in English—our brains flag it as a joke.
We like the unexpected. When a word like taradiddle shows up, your brain has to work a little harder to process the rhythm. That extra millisecond of effort often results in a chuckle. It’s a reward for your ears.
A list of absurdities that actually exist
You’ve probably used some of these without realizing how ridiculous they actually are. Others are buried in the depths of Victorian slang or regional dialects, just waiting for a comeback.
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Brouhaha. It sounds like someone started to laugh and then forgot how to finish. In reality, it refers to an overexcited critical response or a fuss. It’s much more satisfying to say than "commotion."
Malarkey. This one has had a bit of a political resurgence lately, but it remains one of the best funny words to say because of its bouncy rhythm. It feels like something a 1920s newspaper editor would bark at a rookie reporter.
Flibbertigibbet. Try saying that three times fast without smiling. It’s a real word, famously used in The Sound of Music, but its origins go back to Middle English. It describes a flighty or gossipy person. It’s essentially the phonetic version of a bird fluttering its wings.
Hullabaloo. Similar to brouhaha, but with more "oo" at the end. Linguists often point out that back vowels (like the "oo" in hullabaloo or "ah" in snollygoster) tend to be associated with larger, more humorous concepts than the high "ee" sounds.
Snollygoster. This is a genuine 19th-century term for a shrewd, unprincipled person, usually a politician. It sounds like something you’d find under a bridge in a fairy tale, but it was actually a staple of American political jargon for decades.
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Why we need these words in a digital world
Everything is so sanitized now. We communicate in emojis and acronyms. But there is a tactile pleasure in speech that we are losing. Using funny words to say isn't just about being a clown; it’s about reclaiming the texture of the English language.
When you call a minor inconvenience a kerfuffle, you’re de-escalating the situation. You’re adding a layer of whimsy to a world that often feels far too heavy. It’s hard to stay truly angry at someone who uses the word skedaddle.
There’s also the "Incongruity Theory" of humor. This theory suggests that we find things funny when there’s a gap between what we expect and what we actually experience. If a high-powered CEO uses the word discombobulated to describe a market shift, the gap between the serious context and the silly word creates a spark of humor. It’s a social lubricant.
The Geography of Funny Sounds
Regional dialects are goldmines for this stuff.
- The British "codswallop" (meaning nonsense).
- The Southern American "cattywampus" (meaning askew or crooked).
- The Yiddish influence on New York English, giving us gems like "schlamazel."
Each of these carries a cultural weight, but they all share that same DNA of "weird sounds." They are words that feel good to chew on.
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The psychology of "Liking" certain syllables
We have to talk about "phonesthemes." These are specific sound sequences that suggest a certain meaning, even if there’s no logical reason for it. For example, many words starting with "sl-" have a slippery or negative connotation: slime, slop, slug, sleaze, slur. In the world of funny words to say, sounds like "b," "p," "d," and "g" are the heavy hitters. They are plosives. They stop the airflow and then release it. Gorgonzola. Bamboozle. Gazebo. These words have a physical "bounce" to them. When you say "Gazebo," your lips and tongue are doing a lot of work. It’s a mini-workout for your face.
How to use these words without being "that guy"
We’ve all met the person who tries too hard to be quirky. You don't want to be the person who uses five "funny" words in every sentence. That’s exhausting. The key is the "surgical strike."
Drop one into a conversation when it’s least expected. If you’re at a fancy dinner and someone asks how the trip was, tell them it was a bit of a rigmarole. Don't over-explain it. Just let the word sit there. The beauty of these words is that their meaning is usually clear from their sound. You don’t need to know the dictionary definition of pumpernickel to know it sounds slightly ridiculous.
Practical ways to expand your "Funny" vocabulary:
- Read old P.G. Wodehouse novels. He was the absolute king of using the perfect, slightly absurd word to describe a mundane situation.
- Look at Victorian slang. They had words for everything, and most of them sound like they were invented by a drunk poet.
- Listen to how kids talk. Children often invent words that follow the "funny" rules of linguistics without even knowing it.
The weird truth about "Gonk" and "Booba"
There’s a famous psychological study called the Bouba/Kiki effect. When shown a jagged shape and a rounded shape, almost everyone (regardless of language) identifies the jagged one as "Kiki" and the rounded one as "Bouba."
This proves that our brains map sounds to shapes. Funny words to say often lean into the "Bouba" territory—they are round, soft, and bouncy. Or they lean extremely into the "Kiki" territory—sharp, jagged, and surprising. It’s the middle ground that’s boring. The extremes are where the humor lives.
Don't be afraid of the nonsense
At the end of the day, language is a tool, but it's also a toy. We are the only species on the planet that can make these complex sounds to transmit ideas, so why not have a little fun with it? Whether you’re calling your cat a scallywag or describing a messy room as a shambles, you’re tapping into a long tradition of linguistic playfulness.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit your adjectives: Next time you’re about to say "confused," try befuddled. Instead of "nonsense," go with balderdash. Notice how it changes the energy of the conversation.
- Practice the "K" sounds: If you're writing a speech or even just a funny text, look for words with hard consonants. They land better.
- Explore etymology: Look up the origin of a word like collywobbles (it’s a transformation of "cholera morbus"). Understanding where the weirdness comes from makes it even more satisfying to use.
- Read aloud: The funniest words are often the ones that are the most physically demanding to say. If your mouth feels like it’s doing gymnastics, you’ve found a winner.