'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.' Henry James.

What are the most beautiful words in the English language? The answer to this subjective question will obviously vary from person to person depending, as it does, on the meaning, the sound, the context, and the connotation of the word or words in question.

'Words strain,

Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,

Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,

Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,

Will not stay still.'

T.S. Eliot, 'Four Quartets'

And yet if you scan the works of the most fastidious and discerning writers you will find certain words that are almost universally accepted as 'beautiful'.

'You can stroke people with words.' F. Scott Fitzgerald, 'The Crack-Up'

Here is Part 1 of my list of 'beautiful' words. Are there any words you would remove from or add to this list? Let me know what you think.

autumn
beloved
blandishments
blossom
butterfly
cadence
caress
carol
champagne
chime
crimson
crystal
darling
dawn
delicious
delight
desolate
dream
dulcet
dusk
echo
eglantine
enchant
eternal
ethereal
glistening
goblet
golden
gossamer
harmony
harvest
idyllic
languid
languorous
laughter
love
lullaby
lustrous
magic

Email your suggestions for 'The Most Beautiful Words in The English Language' to: assignmentsplus1@aol.com

Gerard McLoughlin is the author of '15 hours To A Powerful English Vocabulary'.

To view this course, please visit http://www.assignmentsplus.com/vocabularycourse1.html