The claim that sound-meaning signs can be nonarbitrary gained a lot of attention in 2…. after of the work of Blasi et all: 
"By analyzing word lists covering nearly two-thirds of the world’s languages, we demonstrate that a considerable proportion of 100 basic vocabulary items carry strong associations with specific kinds of human speech sounds, occurring persistently across continents and linguistic lineages (linguistic families or isolates)."
More recently Cuskley, Simner & Kirby (2017) examined the literature on the "kiki-bouba effect" and observed that most accounts pointed to the mapping between acoustic or articulatory properties of sound and shape. According to them, previous studies failed in consider that, for the literate subject, the influence of the shapes of the graphemes could function as an underlying matching mechanism. 
"We compare traditional accounts of direct audio or articulatory-visual mapping with an account in which the effect is heavily influenced by matching between the shapes of graphemes and the abstract shape targets. The results of our two studies suggest that the dominant mechanism underlying the effect for literate subjects is matching based on aligning letter curvature and shape roundedness (i.e. non-words with curved letters are matched to round shapes). We show that letter curvature is strong enough to significantly influence word–shape associations even in auditory tasks, where written word forms are never presented to participants."
Even with so much evidence that supports some kind of motivated sound-shape mapping, many important questions remain. What is the basis for cross-modal matching: entire words, segments, transition between segments or phonological features? What is the dominant iconic ground for the mappings? How is the cross-modal mapping achieved? What is the role of the Vision, Proprioception, Haptic senses and literacy in mapping sounds to meaning? Besides that, what does it mean? What are the implications for linguistics, semiotics, neurolinguistics, psychology, literacy, dyslexia and speech disorders? 
To answer those questions goes way beyond the objective of this paper. Our goal is to demonstrate how uniskript alphabets incorporate many of the sound-shape correspondences strongly supported by research. The literature indicates, for instance, that front and closed vowels are associated with the concept of "smallness", while open and back vowels are associated with the concept of "largeness". The front closed vowel in uniskript is represented by a smaller shape, while open vowels are represented using bigger shapes.The number of lines used mirrors the association between the sounds and conceptual size. The curve in the back vowels also make them look bigger than the front vowels. The "fullness" associated with bilabial sounds in Blasi et all (2016) is represented in uniskript by using ellipse for p, b and m.
Additionally, anterior high vowels are usually associated with the concept of "sharp", or "spiky", while back vowels are associated with the concepts of "roundness" and "smoothness". Front and back vowels are differentiated in uniskript by the use of straight angles versus curved lines, matching the concepts or "sharp" and "smooth" respectively.
For the literate subject, the printed page is perceived as a metaphor for the physical space around them. In the western world, where the directionality of writing is from left to right, the left side of the printed shape is perceived as its "front", while the right side of a printed shape is perceived as its "back". Based on this perception, uniskript represents the backward movement of the tongue in the articulation of the back vowels by placing the curve at the right side of the glyph.
By combining featural-shape indexicality and sound-shape congruency, uniskript alphabets provide transparent and intuitive writing systems, which can be applied in a variety of different contexts. 
Different versions of uniskript alphabets have been used in the last ten years mainly as a tool to develop metaphonological awareness and to teach the alphabetic principle to pre-literate children. According to a study by Robert Peterson, PNG children exposed to uniskript acquired fluency in reading their mother tongue and English in one third of the time compared to children who used other phonic methods. Kindergarten children in he Navajo Reservation in 2016-2017 school year exposed to uniskript phonics were reading better compared to children in the previous years who were not exposed to it. There are anecdotical data pointing to the efficacy of uniskript to remediate reading in children with autism and dyslexia. A speech therapist in San Francisco area reports that, by using uniskript in only one session, her patients developed phonemic awareness equivalent to four sessions using traditional methods. 
In this article we introduce an additional application of uniskript - its use as a tool to develop metaphonological awareness in second language learners. 
"The term metaphonological awareness is understood by the author as consisting of the explicit knowledge of selected aspects of L2 phonetics and phonology, analytic awareness of the formal properties of the target language as contrasted with the learners’ L1 as well as a considerable level of processing control, i.e. intentional focus on phonetic forms and articulatory gestures during speech performance. In a long-term empirical study Wrembel [11] demonstrated that meta-awareness raising and conscious acquisition of explicit knowledge contributes to the development of L2 pronunciation competence more than pronunciation instruction devoid of metacognitive reinforcement." 
Uniskript ESL uses a one-to-one correspondence to represent the most salient features of the English phonemes. We will now demonstrate how each one of the uniskript glyphs chosen to represent this specific version of uniskript reflect featural-visual indexicality as well as sound-shape congruency. Vowels are generally represented by the use of lines, while consonants are represented by the use of a variety of plan geometric shapes.
The phonological analysis of English vowels employed to generate the uniskript for ESL considers a vowel inventory composed of six short vowels, in accordance with the analysis referred to by Peter Roach (2009). In this analysis the system is described as having six basic vowels, which occupy only one mora in the syllable and need to be followed by a consonant in the coda in order to make a grammatical syllable. All the long vowels are then analyzed as short vowels followed by a semivowel, which changes its quality and adds extra weight to the syllable.
The graph below illustrates the ways in which uniskript exhibits an indexical relation linking the phonological features of the vowels to the visual conceptualization of its indices.
In the graph ….. , the number of lines mirrors the relative opening of the mouth, while the shape of the lines mirrors the relative backness of the tongue. The table below displays the uniskript glyphs for the short vowels.
Let us examine the English vowels organized according to their phonological features and cross-modal correlations. The first chart introduces all the short vowels, which are also plain, or stable - they start and end with the same quality.  For each vowel the chart shows the relevant phonological features in the first column, the uniskript glyph in the second, the phonological segment using IPA, one of the most common graphemes using in the English orthography to represent the sounds, and a key word (usually the same word used in the uniskript English primer book).
The uniskript glyphs used to represent the vowel in Figure 5 employ the following visual-featural indexicality and sound-shape congruency correspondences:
  1. Lines to represent the air flowing freely.
  2. A different number of lines to represent different degrees of opening of the mouth.
  3. Curves at the left side of the glyphs to indicate tongue backness
  4. An angle at the right side of the front closed vowel represents sharpness.
Long vowels are made by combining one of the short vowels above with one of the two semivowels present in the English inventory of phonemes. In order to explain the long vowels we need to look at the semivowels first, displayed in the chart below.
 
 
Semivowels, as the name suggests, are segments that are vowel like in therms of articulation, but function as consonants. Similar to the vowels, there is no obstruction to the air flow in their articulation. But similar to the consonants, they never occupy the nucleus of a syllable. 
The two semivowels in English are distinguished in uniskript by representing the main organ involved in its articulation. The lips are distinctively rounded in the pronunciation of w, while the center of the tongue is distinctively raised to pronounce the y. The uniskript glyphs to represent them employ the following visual-featural indexicality and sound-shape congruency correspondences.
  1. A circle represents the rounding articulation of the lips in the labiovelar semivowel. At the same time, both velar and labial sounds are cross-sensory perceived as rounded.
  2. A half hexagon represents the raised articulation of the tongue in the palatal semivowel. At the same time, palatal sounds are cross-sensory perceived as angular and sharp.
Now, that we have explained how the semivowels are represented, let us examine how they are combined with the short vowels to form the long vowels of the English inventory.
Short vowels are phonetically plain, while long vowels are phonetically glided. It means that there is a slight change in the quality of the vowel throughout its articulation. Long vowels start with one quality and end with another quality. They are technically diphthongs, even though some of them are not perceived as such by native speakers of English. uniskript ESL is designed to help second language learners to articulate the vowels with a accuracy, so they need to be trained to produce the diphthongs even where they are not phonological. Uniskript approaches this problem by combining a short vowel and a semivowel to represent the gliding, or changing quality of the long vowels in English. Let as start by looking at the long vowels that end with a pronounced rounding of the lips, as shown in the chart below.
 
 
In the conceptualization of the three long vowels above, uniskript glyphs employ the following visual-featural indexicality and sound-shape congruency correspondences:
  1. The extra length of the vowel is reflected visually through the juxtaposition of two glyphs.
  2. The number of lines represent  the degree of opening of the mouth at the articulation of beginning vowel.
  3. The circle on the right side represents the rounding of the lips in the end of the articulation of the long vowels.
  4. The curve in the right side of the first glyph represents the backness of the vowels, since back vowels are perceived cross-sensory as rounded.
The same process is used to represent the English long vowels that end with a palatalization, as can be observed in the chart below.
In the conceptualization of the four long vowels above, uniskript glyphs employ the following visual-featural indexicality and sound-shape congruency correspondences:
  1. The extra length of the vowels is reflected visually through the juxtaposition of two glyphs.
  2. The number of lines represent  the degree of opening of the mouth at the beginning of the articulation of the vowel.
  3. The half hexagon in on the right side represents the raising of the center of the tongue in the end of the articulation of those long vowels.
  4. The curve in the right side of the first glyph represents the backness of the vowels.
  5. An angle at the left side of the front closed vowel represents sharpness.
Consonant with the evidence found in the sound-symbolism literature, and as a general rule in the uniskript representation of long vowels, sharpness is associated with long vowels ending in a "i-like" sounds and roundness is associated with long vowels ending in a "u-like" sounds.
Let us now examine the English consonants organized according to their phonological features and cross-modal correlations. The first chart introduces all the plosive consonants, including the affricates. For each consonant the chart below shows the relevant phonological features in the first column, the uniskript glyph in the second, the phonological segment using IPA, a common graphemes using in the English orthography to represent the sounds, and a key word.
 
 
Plosives are produced with a total impediment in the vocal tract caused by a constriction organ. Uniskript uses plan geometric shapes to represent the constriction organ involved, employing the following visual-featural indexicality and sound-shape congruency correspondences:
  1. An horizontal ellipse with a line crossing it sideways represents the closure of the lips in the bilabial consonants. At the same time, labial sounds are cross-sensory perceived as rounded or full.
  2. An isosceles triangle represents the tip of the tongue pointing up in the articulation of the alveolar consonants. At the same time, coronal sounds are cross-sensory perceived as "angular" and "sharp". 
  3. A half ellipse represents the central part of the tongue going up to produce palatal consonants. The palatal affricates, due to their acoustic effects, are perceived as softer, or smoother sounds. This characteristic is iconic with the roundness of its shapes.
  4. And finally a right angle represent the dorsum of the tongue moving backwards to produce a velar plosive. At the same time the curved vertex is iconic with the roundness or smoothness of the back sounds. 
  5. dot in the center of the consonant refers to the Adam's Apple, the point where the vibration of the vocal folds can be felt with the index finger. At the same time, the dot makes the shape look visually heavier, or crowded,  in consonance with the cross-modal perception that voiced consonants are heavier than the voiceless one
Labial, alveolar and velar consonants can be produced with a nasal articulation, creating nasal phonemes. The chart below shows these consonants, with two dots over them to represent the nostrils.
 
 
The fricative consonants are represented with shapes which are more related to acoustic features than articulatory ones. A single tilde is used to represent the friction of the air passing through a narrow opening in the oral cavity in the articulation of the alveolar fricative. As the perceived amount of friction is higher in the articulation of a palatal fricative, a double tilde is used. A single tilde is also used to represent the friction caused by a narrowing of the glottis in the articulation of the glottal fricative. In this case the tilde is placed inside a circle which represents the throat. 
As a general rule, fricative shapes are smaller than stops shapes, in consonance with the perception that fricatives are perceptually lighter than stops. 
 
 
Finally, Uniskript represents the liquid consonants using lines depicting the movement of the tongue. In the articulation of the liquids, the tongue produces a partial occlusion in the oral cavity, resulting in a resonant vowel like sound. The articulation of the liquids is considered displaced, because the articulator changes its neutral configuration.
  
  1. The backward movement of the tip of the tongue in the retroflex liquid is represented by a line curved rightward. The use of a curved line to represent the retroflex is in consonance with Blasi et all, (2016), who found out that words for "round"  usually have an r sound. Plato refereed to the notion of motion of the r sound.
  2. The narrowing of the tongue, as it points up in the articulation of the lateral liquid is represented in uniskript with a ……………….
The chart below shows a list of monosyllabic English words presenting different syllable templates, where C stands for consonant, V for vowel and S for semivowel. The syllable templates are shown in the first column, the Uniskript transcription in the second column; the IPA transcription in the third column and the  word in the Roman Alphabet in the fourth column.
Conclusion 
The present working paper aims to contribute to the recently re-evoked interest in acoustic iconicity by exploring different manifestations of phonetic symbolism. 

Section

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