Writers know that using the senses is a great way to bring stories to life. Use this complete list of words thatdescribe soundsif you write
According to the Oxford Dictionary, for exampleI hearis 'to perceive that with the earklangdone by (someone or something).SonsThey are “vibrations that propagate through the air or other medium and are audible when they reach a person's ear”.
you have to use thosefive sensesWhen you write, readers want to experience what your characters see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Using the senses is one of the best ways a writer can learn to show, not tell.
Writers Write is a resource for writers and we write about words that describeTaste,Odor, jToquein previous posts. (We even have one forWords that describe colors.) In this post, I have included words that describe sounds.
Common words that describe sounds
- audible: a sound loud enough to be heard
- Broken - a sound that contains spaces
- emit - make a sound
- Grinding: a sound of one hard thing moving against another
- mute - a sound that is mute
- inaudible - a sound that is difficult to hear
- monotonous: a sound that is always the same and never gets louder or quieter, neither louder nor quieter
- muffled: a sound that is not easily heard because something is blocking it
- plaintive - a sound that has a sad quality
- rhythmic: a sound that has a clear, regular pattern
- Staccato: a note in which each word or note is clearly separated
describe pleasant sounds
- dulcet - soft and comfortable
- Warble - a sound that has a rising and falling pattern
- audible - easy to hear
- soft - a soft, smooth, pleasant sound
- melodic - beautiful sound
- musical – sounds like music
- pure: clear and beautiful sound
- rich: a pleasantly loud sound
- smooth - calm and peaceful
- sonorous – a sound that is comfortably deep and loud
- sweet - a pleasant sound
describe loud noises
- at maximum volume, as loud as possible
- omnipotent - used to emphasize how powerful something is
- Brassy - a sound that is loud and unpleasant
- deafening: a sound so loud that you cannot hear anything else
- deafening - extremely loud
- explosive: a sound that is loud and unexpected
- howl: a continuous, deep, loud sound
- insistent: a continuous, loud, loud noise
- loud - a sound that is loud and very easy to hear
- loud - a sound that is fullerNoise
- Percussion: a short sound, like someone hitting a drum
- piercing: a sound that is very loud, loud and obnoxious
- pulsing - strong, regular pattern
- stridente - rude, violent, loud
- resonant: a sound that is loud and lasts for a while
- Troublemakers - Alive and Loud
- Roar - a loud, deep sound
- noisy - noisy and causes problems
- sharp: a sound that is sudden and loud
- squeaky - a sound that is loud, loud and unpleasant
- Thunder - extremely loud
- finding - height
- rowdy: a sound involving noise, excitement, activity, or violence
- thunderous - extremely loud
Words to help you show and not tell
Many of these words to help youshow and don't tellare examples offor Lautmaler🇧🇷 These words mimic natural sounds. "Produces a sound effect that mimics the description, making the description more expressive and interesting."
here are some examples:
- the beeshummedin front of my window.
- Ventosaying.
- Laubcrisisjcrushedunder your feet.
Use this list to bring your writing to life.
- Babble: a soft, pleasant sound made by water as it moves in a river
- Bang: moving, making loud noises
- Beep: one short high tone or several short high tones
- blare - to make a loud and unpleasant sound
- Bang: make a loud sound with a car horn
- Beep: one short high tone or several short high tones
- Boom: Produces a loud, low sound that lasts for some time
- Meow - an uncomfortably loud loud noise
- Chime: A high-pitched ringing tone like a bell or chime
- chink: a high-pitched ringing sound when hitting or making something do it
- Clack - making a short, loud noise, as if one hard object were hitting another
- clang - a loud, metallic sound
- tinkle - a short, loud noise
- Shock: A loud, metallic noise.
- Noise: a series of short, high-pitched sounds
- Click: a brief sound, like pressing a button
- Jingle: Making the short, high-pitched sound made by glass or metal objects colliding with each other, or causing objects to make that sound
- cluck: make a short, deep sound with the tongue
- Shock: a sudden loud noise, like something being hit
- Creak: When something creaks, especially something made of wood, makes a loud noise when moved or carried
- Drone - to make a continuous low sound
- Bubbling: a faint sound made by small gas bubbles when they burst
- Moan - a long low sound
- Growling - a low, unpleasant sound
- Growl: Make a short, low sound with your throat and nose at the same time
- Gurgling: The low sound that water makes when quickly poured from a bottle
- honk: to make a loud noise with a horn, especially a car horn
- honk: emits a short, loud sound as a warning
- Meow - crying with a low and high sound
- Moan - a long low sound
- neigh: make a very loud noise like a horse's neigh
- ring – when a bell rings or when someone rings it, it makes a loud sound
- Chirp: When a car horn sounds, it makes a sound
- Ping - to make a short, loud sound, like the sound of a small bell
- Kite - makes very loud noise or speaks very loudly
- Pop - a sudden sound like a small explosion
- Putter: a short, low, weak sound at low speed
- to ring - ring a bell
- roar - make a continuous and very loud noise
- Rumble - a continuous bass sound
- scream - make a very loud noise
- scream - make a very loud noise
- squeak - to make a loud, loud, unpleasant sound
- scrunch: make a loud noise, as if something is being squeezed
- sigh - a long, soft, deep sound
- chirp - make a short, loud sound
- squeak - make a long, high-pitched sound
- push: make a loud noise because you are excited or happy
- thrum- to make a low, even sound, as if one object is gently hitting another many times
- Slap: a muffled sound when you fall or hit something
- hit - hit something with a soft, loud sound
- ring – makes a loud, resonant sound
- wail - make a long, high-pitched sound
- hiss: a loud sound, as if a large amount of air is being pushed in
- Moaning - a loud noise
- Hum: A fast, repeated, low-pitched sound
- Whisper - to create a smooth, mellow tone
- whistle: make a loud sound by forcing air through your mouth to get someone's attention
- Howl: A short, loud, high-pitched sound, usually caused by emotion, anger, or pain
- howl: a long, loud, unhappy noise or complaint
Use these words todescribe soundsand bring your writing to life.
best tip: Learn more about ourworkbooksjOnline coursesin ourloaded.
through theAmanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson
If you liked this post, read:
- 75 words that describe smells
- 20 words to describe certain flavors and aromas
- 209 words to describe touch
- Three Easy Ways to Show and Not Tell
- 12 important things to consider when hiring
- Cheat sheet for writing body language
- 20 fun ways to come up with a plot idea
Sources:
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/miscellaneous-words-used-to-describe-sounds
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/deposing-sounds-that-are-unpleasant-to-listen-to
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/deposing-sounds-that-are-low-and-or-deep
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/deposing-sounds-that-are-quiet-and-or-soft
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/deposing-sounds-that-are-high-and-short
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/to-make-a-loud-sound
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/to-make-a-high-sound
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/to-make-a-quiet-or-low-sound
best tip: Learn more about ourworkbooksjOnline coursesin ourloaded.
- Description,show, don't tell,writing resource,Amanda Patterson's Writing Tips
Posted on: May 23, 2019
(787,533 views)
FAQs
How do you describe sound in writing? ›
While adjectives (words like “loud” or “sharp”) are the obvious choice for describing sounds, verbs are a powerful tool that can also help you achieve a strong description. For example, saying, “the jet was loud” is accurate and descriptive, while “the jet screamed” evokes an even stronger sense of the sound.
What words can you use to describe sound? ›- (as) clear as a bell idiom.
- audible.
- audibly.
- background.
- bass.
- boomy.
- brassy.
- chuff.
Onomatopoeia is a term that describes when a word is formed from the sound associated with what it's named. Words like sizzle and snap and ping are perfect examples of onomatopoeia you can use not only to describe the sound within description, but the words also stand alone as verbs.
How do you describe loud noises? ›Some common synonyms of loud are earsplitting, raucous, stentorian, and strident. While all these words mean "marked by intensity or volume of sound," loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness.
How do you describe sound quality? ›Descriptors can be balanced, bassy, sibilant, etc. Transparent – Similar to clarity, it is a clean, clear, open, and detailed quality. Warm/warmth – Engaging vocals, bumped mid-bass and clear and lush midrange.
What are examples of sound in writing? ›Onomatopoeia – sound effects in writing. Onomatopoeic words are words that sound like their meaning. Favourite examples include: woof, quack, bang, crash, purr, thud, biff, whack, buzz.
What are examples of noise in writing? ›- baa.
- bang.
- boom.
- cheep.
- clack.
- cluck.
- crack.
- crunch.
You write sound effects in a screenplay by capitalizing the sound you're making in the action line of the script. For example “Jackie SLAMS the door shut.” or “The tires SCREECHES across the street.”
When words are written how they sound? ›When children spell words the way they sound, they are said to be phonetically spelling — for example, the word lion could be phonetically spelled L-Y-N, or the word move could be phonetically spelled M-U-V.