Brand names can make a snack sound filling before you’ve tasted it. David Sidhu, assistant professor at Carleton University, offers clues to what you might be hearing in a name, useful if you’re choosing one yourself.
Imagine choosing a potato chip for a friend who prefers heavier food. Would Gobo or Tiki sound like the better fit? Around 600 people faced choices like these, and their expectations give you a reason to reconsider what a product name is doing.
Easy pronunciation is one consideration. But David points to another preference you can test by saying two made-up words aloud: binoca and canoba. The difference involves what your mouth does as you speak. Which one has the advantage?
Topics: brand names, sound symbolism, snack names, business naming, pronunciation
GUEST: David Sidhu | classilabs.ca
Originally aired on2026-10-29
