Stylistics
Cacophony
Cacophony is an unpleasant, ear-jarring sound of speech, caused by a heavy cluster of consonants, an unfortunate coincidence of sounds, monotonous repetition or a disharmonious combination of sound elements. Most often cacophony is a consequence of carelessness or a low culture of language and is considered a stylistic flaw to be removed by editing the text. However, in literature discordance may be used deliberately as an expressive means: harsh, "heavy" sound combinations reproduce the disharmony of the depicted world, convey tension, anxiety, ugliness or the coarseness of a phenomenon. Such purposeful sound-writing is subordinated to the artistic design. Cacophony is opposed to euphony and is studied by phonostylistics in the aspect of the aesthetic evaluation of the sound organisation of speech and its correspondence to the content and mood of a work.
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Meaning, origins and distinction — side by side.
Distinction
Opposite poles of sound organisation. Euphony is a pleasant-to-the-ear sound achieved by harmonious selection and the avoidance of heavy clusters; it reinforces melodiousness and emotional effect. Cacophony is a harsh, unpleasant sound from consonant clusters or disharmony; usually a flaw, but deliberately used it conveys the disharmony, tension or ugliness of the depicted. One draws the ear; the other deliberately jars it.
