way6-mouthfeel

        ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  
        │   S A Y   I T   O U T   L O U D   ·   awk·i·cal   /ˈɔːk.ɪ.kəl/   │
        └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  
                                                                            
                                                                            
            AWK · · · · · · · · I · · · · · · · CAL                         
             |                   |               |                          
          ┌──┴──┐            ┌───┴───┐       ┌───┴───┐                      
          │ ɔː  │            │   ɪ   │       │  kəl  │                      
          │ open│            │ short │       │ trails│                      
          │ jaw │            │  trip │       │  off  │                      
          └──┬──┘            └───┬───┘       └───┬───┘                      
             │                   │               │                          
        ╲╱╲╱╲╱╲___           __╱╲_╱╲__       ___╱╲___ . . . .               
        confident            the stumble       limp landing                 
        opening              ( awk—k—ic? )     ( -ical, but earned? )       
                                                                            
                          ▁▂▄▆█▆▄▂▁   ▁▂▁  ▁▃▁ ▂▁  ·  ·  ·                  
                          ───────────────────────────────────►  t           
                          smooth onset    HITCH      tapered tail           
                                                                            
              the mouth commits to "awk", then trips on the joint,          
              then recovers into a suffix it isn't sure it deserves —       
                                                                            
                    a word that SOUNDS like its own meaning.                
                                                                            
        ╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮    
        │  articulation note:  the awkwardness is unlicensed —          │   
        │  no rule says awk- may wear -ical.  it wore it anyway.        │   
        │  the wince is in the wearing.                                 │   
        ╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯