Which term refers to pleasant, melodious sounding words that create a smooth, harmonious effect?

• A. Consonance
• B. Alliteration
• C. Euphony
• D. Irony

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how sound quality in language shapes the reader’s experience. Euphony refers to using pleasant, melodious sounds to create a smooth, harmonious effect in speech or poetry. This often happens with vowel-rich words, flowing sequences of softer consonants (like l, m, n, s), and a rhythm that lets the lines glide, giving the ear a musical feel. The other terms don’t describe that overall sense of pleasant sound: consonance involves repeating consonant sounds, typically at line endings, without implying musical harmony; alliteration is about repeating initial consonant sounds, which can feel playful or emphatic but isn’t inherently soothing; irony is about a contrast between appearance and reality or expectation, not sound quality.