Am I Bouba or Kiki?

Take this quiz to see if your personality is more sharp or round!

You might’ve seen people online debating whether things like actors or animals are “bouba” or “kiki.” These are nonsense words that people say feel either “round” or “sharp,” and they’ve caused a bit of a ruckus on social media. So which word are you? Bouba, or kiki?

Answer these quick personality and psychology questions, and we’ll tell you whether you’re bouba (round, soft), or kiki (sharp, spiky), and why!

A girl looks up at two images; one is bouba and one is kiki.

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Questions Overview

1. How early do you wake up?
  1. Before dawn. I'm an early riser!
  2. At dawn. I like to wake up with the sun.
  3. A little after sunrise. It feels natural!
  4. Long after sunrise. I do things on my own schedule.
2. Choose a texture you like:
  1. Smooth, silky bedsheets that feel like water on your skin.
  2. Soft, plush carpet that you can sink your toes into.
  3. Coarse, rough tree bark that looks like a tiny maze up-close.
  4. Flaky pastry that crumbles in your fingers and melts in your mouth.
3. Choose a pet to adopt:
  1. Hedgehog
  2. Poodle
  3. Toad
  4. Parrot
4. Pick a place to hang out:
  1. An arcade with lots of neon lights and flashing game screens.
  2. A field of white, fluffy dandelions that are scattered in the wind.
  3. A snow-covered street that's pure white and magically silent.
  4. A bustling city market full of shouting voices and brimming with life.
5. Which noise would you rather fall asleep to?
  1. TV or radio static.
  2. Steady, peaceful rainfall.
  3. A humming bathroom fan.
  4. Distant birds singing and chirping.
6. How do you feel about fireworks?
  1. They're gorgeous, and I love their booming noises.
  2. I like how they look, but not how they sound.
  3. I like how they sound, but not how they look.
  4. I don't like how they look or how they sound.
7. If you had to choose a new name, which of these would you pick?
  1. Krystal
  2. Brigid
  3. Tucker
  4. Gregory
8. Choose a gorgeous sky to admire:
  1. Tall, puffy, towering clouds that rumble and threaten to storm.
  2. A totally clear, blue sky that stretches from horizon to horizon.
  3. Thin, wispy clouds that snake along during sunset.
  4. A night sky pinned with stars and a clear crescent moon.
9. Which description best fits your current hairdo?
  1. Short hair that stands on end.
  2. Curly hair that loops and coils.
  3. Long, straight hair that falls and flows.
  4. I'm bald on top, and that's how I like it!
10. Pick some footwear:
  1. Comfy casual Crocs.
  2. Platform leather boots.
  3. Soft and fuzzy house slippers.
  4. Tattered old sneakers.
11. Which word would your friends use to describe you?
  1. Smart
  2. Responsible
  3. Funny
  4. Loyal

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What are Bouba and Kiki?

You might’ve seen these words on TikTok or other social media, with videos or discussions of people categorizing things like actors or animals as either “bouba” or “kiki.” What’s going on? What do these words mean? Why is a cactus kiki and a cinnamon roll bouba?

What does it all mean?
In short, bouba and kiki are a social media phenomenon, and also a pretty well-researched psychological effect. They’re total nonsense words, and what matters isn’t their definitions (they don’t have one), but what they make you feel. Most people get spiky, sharp vibes from the word kiki, and round or soft vibes from the word bouba. Then, they start looking for bouba and kiki in other places. Timothée Chalamet is super kiki—probably because of his sharp jawline and angled facial features—but Tom Holland is pretty bouba, given his boyish smile and pinchable cheeks. Starting to get it?

But why do we associate kiki with sharp and bouba with round?
The answer has to do with how language works, and also how your brain builds associations. Researchers think that the shapes of the words themselves lend a certain vibe—”kiki” has letters with sharp angles and straight lines, while “bouba” has round and curvy letters, so your brain tells your that “kiki” is sharp and “bouba” is round, even though these words don’t mean anything at all. Other researchers also say that the shapes and sounds your mouth makes have a similar effect: “kiki” has staccato, short, sharp sounds, while “bouba” is more drawn-out and dull.

This all started with the psychologist Dimitri Uznadze in 1924.
He ran an experiment where he gave people a list of nonsense words, as well as a list of drawings, and asked them to assign a word to each drawing. He found that many participant’s answers were the same, and started to theorize that humans have some sort of unseen “rules” when giving names to things.

Then, psychologist Wolfgang Köhler built on Uznadze’s experiment. He showed people two visuals and asked them to tell him which visual was “takete” and which was “maluma.” You can probably guess the results.

Finally, 2 more researchers did their own version of the experiment in 2001, this time using the words “bouba” and “kiki.” The rest is history! …Well, not really. Scientists are still coming up with theories and hypotheses as to how and why the human mind thinks like this. Let’s hope one day they find out!

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