Newly hatched chicks matched the made-up sound “bouba” with rounded shapes and “kiki” with spiky ones in a 2026 study. The finding suggests this sound–shape association is not exclusive to humans or dependent on years of language learning. It does not mean chickens understand these sounds as words.
What does “bouba-kiki” mean?
The bouba-kiki effect is a tendency to pair the nonword “bouba” with a rounded shape and “kiki” with a spiky one. These sounds have no ordinary word meanings in the experiment; the question is whether their sound qualities prompt a consistent shape association.
In a study published in Science on February 19, 2026, Maria Loconsole, Silvia Benavides-Varela, and Lucia Regolin tested whether domestic chicks made the same matches. The study’s abstract reports that chicks in both experiments chose a shape congruent with the sound: a rounded shape for “bouba” and a spiky shape for “kiki.” PubMed’s record of the study identifies it as “Matching sounds to shapes: Evidence of the bouba-kiki effect in naïve baby chicks” (391[6787]: 836–839; DOI 10.1126/science.adq7188).
How did the chick experiments work?
The researchers tested chicks at two ages. Testing very soon after hatching helps address whether the association can appear without extensive experience with human language or social interaction.
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| Experiment | Chick age | Experience and procedure | Reported outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 days old | Chicks learned to choose an ambiguous-shape panel to obtain food, then encountered rounded and pointed panels while “Bouba” or “Kiki” played. | Chicks chose the shape matching the sound, according to the study abstract. |
| 2 | Within 24 hours of hatching | Chicks had no social contact or prior training, according to the University of Padova’s account. | Chicks spent more time near the shape congruent with the sound, according to the university’s account. |
The procedural details for the two experiments come from the University of Padova’s February 20, 2026 summary; the core result and ages are also reported in the study abstract.
Ars Technica reports that silence and classical-music controls showed some baseline attraction to rounded shapes. It also reports that 80% of chicks hearing “bouba” approached the rounded shape first, compared with 25% hearing “kiki.” Those are first-approach figures reported by Ars Technica, not a universal rate or a measure of how many animals have the effect.
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What does this tell us—and what doesn’t it?
Because chicks tested within a day of hatching showed the association, the result makes it harder to explain bouba-kiki matching solely as a product of human language learning. The authors say the findings “suggest a predisposed mechanism” that may be widespread across species, as reported in the study abstract.
The measured responses were choices and time spent near shapes when sounds played. That supports an association between a sound and a shape; it does not demonstrate that chicks attach human meanings to “bouba” or “kiki,” consciously imagine shapes, or use symbolic language. The University of Padova’s account quotes author Maria Loconsole: “The results demonstrate that it is not necessary to have a brain predisposed to human language to create associations between sounds and shapes.”
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The evolutionary implication should also stay narrow. A similar association in chicks suggests the behavior is not restricted to humans, but this study does not establish when or how the association evolved, or whether it played a role in the origin of language. The university describes the work as a starting point for further study of sound symbolism and multisensory associations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about the study’s erratum?
PubMed indexes a published erratum dated May 14, 2026, for the article. The accessible erratum record has no abstract or correction details, so its contents and effect on interpretation are not established here.
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