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Most people have a vague sense that some languages just seem prettier than others. And if you are a language-learner, maybe there are ones you just enjoy speaking more than others. (I freely confess a soft spot for Brazilian Portuguese.) You might think your views would be widely shared by any observer.
You might be surprised. This proposition has been tested by a group of researchers who played identical texts in dozens of languages to speakers who themselves spoke several different languages. The conclusion: a universal linguistic beauty queen is hard to find. Most languages were rated pretty similarly—and the one that won the highest rating is probably not one you would guess. | 
