The word "beauty" is spelled using the IPA phonetic transcription /ˈbjuːti/. The first sound is a voiced bilabial stop /b/, followed by a high front vowel /juː/, which is pronounced as "yoo". The final sound is a voiceless dental fricative /θ/, which is pronounced as "th". While the spelling of this word may seem simple enough, its pronunciation can be tricky for non-native English speakers due to the many vowel sounds used in English. Nonetheless, the concept of beauty is universally appreciated across cultures.
Beauty is a concept that pertains to the perception of qualities or attributes that are pleasing, satisfying, or enjoyable to the senses, intellect, or emotions. It is the quality or combination of qualities in an object, person, or artwork that elicits a sense of admiration, pleasure, or awe. Beauty is highly subjective and can vary greatly among individuals as it is influenced by personal preferences, cultural norms, and societal standards.
The notion of beauty typically encompasses physical appearances, such as symmetrical features, attractive proportions, or harmonious colors, but it extends beyond the realm of aesthetics alone. Beauty can also relate to inner qualities, such as kindness, intelligence, grace, or moral character. It may be associated with emotional experiences, such as love, serenity, or joy, as well as intellectual stimulation derived from appreciating art, literature, or music.
Beauty often becomes a central theme in artistic, philosophical, and cultural discourses. It has inspired countless works of art, literature, and music throughout history. However, beauty is not limited to the domain of art and can be found in the natural world, in everyday life and even in simple moments of human interaction. Beauty has the power to captivate, inspire, and uplift individuals, providing a source of pleasure, wonder, and enrichment.
Ultimately, beauty is a multifaceted and elusive concept that can encompass a wide range of experiences, qualities, and phenomena, often evoking emotional responses and enhancing the human experience.
The appearance and properties in any person or thing that please and delight the eye; those qualities in a thing that delight the mind or any of the senses; a lovely and pleasing person.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word beauty originated from the Old French word beaute (12th century), which was derived from the Latin word bellitas. Bellitas was derived from the Latin word bellus meaning beautiful, pretty. The Latin word bellus eventually evolved into beauté in Old French, and then it further evolved into the Middle English word beaute (14th century), finally becoming the modern English word beauty.