@mikemearls I asked Mr. Mercer this, but I’m curious what your take is & from WotC as well:
What do you, personally, imagine the one word being said that is used in the spell “Power Word Kill”?
Is it a different word for different races?
Just a fun and somewhat silly question.

— like (@CastingCantrips) January 3, 2018

I always imagined it being a creature’s true name – the other power words being lesser echoes of it. Caster doesn’t retain knowledge of it, goes into a trance and utters it. Only the target clearly hears it, garbled noise to everyone else. https://t.co/oBCHU4kLou

— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) January 4, 2018