The word 有口皆碑 is formed by combining four characters: 有 (have), 口 (mouth), 皆 (all), and 碑 (stele). Literally, it means "every mouth is a stele", where mouths represent people and steles symbolize engraved praise. This construction creates a metaphor where all people are likened to monuments that bear commendation, resulting in the meaning of "universally praised".