How To Write Sounds In Writing
Writers know that using the senses is a great way to make stories come alive. Use this comprehensive list of words that describe sounds when you write.
According to Oxford Dictionary, to hear is to 'perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)'.Sounds are 'vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person's ear'.
You have to use the five senses when you write. Readers want to experience what your characters see, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Using the senses is one of the best ways for writers to learn how to show and not tell.
Writers Write is a resource for writers and we have written about words that describe taste, smell, andtouch in previous posts. (We even have one for words that describe colours.) In this post I have included words that describe sounds.
106 Ways To Describe Sounds
General Words Describing Sounds
- audible – a sound that is loud enough to hear
- broken – a sound that has spaces in it
- emit – to make a sound
- grinding – a sound of one hard thing moving against another
- hushed – a sound that is quiet
- inaudible – a sound that is difficult to hear
- monotonous – a sound that is always the same and never gets louder or quieter, or higher or lower
- muffled – a sound that is not easy to hear because it is blocked by something
- plaintive – a sound that has a sad quality
- rhythmic – a sound that has a clear, regular pattern
- staccato – a sound where each word or sound is clearly separate
Describing Pleasing Sounds
- dulcet – soft and pleasant
- lilting – a sound that has a rising and falling pattern
- listenable – easy to listen to
- mellow – a soft, smooth, pleasant sound
- melodic – beautiful sound
- musical – sounds like music
- pure – a clear, beautiful sound
- rich – a sound that is strong in a pleasant way
- soft – quiet and peaceful
- sonorous – a sound that is deep and strong in a pleasant way
- sweet – a pleasant sound
Describing Noisy Sounds
- at full blast – as loudly as possible
- almighty – used for emphasising how loud something is
- brassy – a sound that is loud and unpleasant
- deafening – a sound so loud you cannot hear anything else
- ear-splitting – extremely loud
- explosive – a sound that is loud and unexpected
- howling – a continuous, low, loud noise
- insistent – a continuous, loud, strong noise
- loud – a sound that is strong and very easy to hear
- noisy – a sound that is full of noise
- percussive – a sound that is short, like someone hitting a drum
- piercing – a sound that is very loud, high, and unpleasant
- pulsating – strong, regular pattern
- raucous – rude, violent, noisy
- resounding – a sound that is loud and that continues for a while
- riotous – lively and noisy
- roaring – a deep, loud noise
- rowdy – noisy and causing trouble
- sharp – a sound that is sudden and loud
- shrill – a sound that is loud, high, and unpleasant
- thundering – extremely loud
- thunderous – loud
- tumultuous – a sound that includes noise, excitement, activity, or violence
- uproarious – extremely noisy
Words That Help You Show And Not Tell
Many of these words that help you show and not tell are examples of onomatopoeia. These words imitate natural sounds. 'It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting.'
Here are some examples:
- The bees buzzed outside my window.
- The wind sighed.
- The leaves crackled and crunched under his feet.
Use this list to make your writing come alive.
- babble – a gentle, pleasant sound of water as it moves along in a river
- bang – to move, making loud noises
- beep – a short high sound or several short high sounds
- blare – to make a loud and unpleasant noise
- blast – to make a loud sound with a car horn
- bleep – a short high sound or several short high sounds
- boom – to make a deep loud sound that continues for some time
- caterwaul – an unpleasant loud high noise
- chime – a high ringing sound like a bell or set of bells
- chink – a high ringing sound when knocked together, or to make something do this
- clack -to make a short loud sound like one hard object hitting against another
- clang – a loud, metallic sound
- clank – a short, loud sound
- clash – a loud, metallic sound
- clatter – a series of short, sharp noises
- click – a short sound like the sound when you press a switch
- clink – to make the short high sound of glass or metal objects hitting each other, or to cause objects to make this sound
- cluck – to make a short, low sound with your tongue
- crash – a sudden loud noise, as if something is being hit
- creak – if something creaks, especially something wooden, it makes a high noise when it moves or when you put weight on it
- drone – to make a low continuous noise
- fizz – a soft sound that small gas bubbles make when they burst
- groan – a long, low, sound
- growl – a low, unpleasant noise
- grunt – to make a short low sound in your throat and nose at the same time
- gurgle – the low sound water makes when it is poured quickly from a bottle
- honk – to make a loud noise using a horn, especially the horn of a car
- hoot – to make a short loud sound as a warning
- mewl – crying with a soft, high sound
- moan – a long, low sound
- neigh – to make a high loud sound like a horse's neigh
- peal – if a bell peals, or if someone peals it, it makes a loud sound
- peep – if a car's horn peeps, it makes a sound
- ping – to make a short high sound like the sound of a small bell
- pipe – to make a very high sound, or to speak in a very high voice
- pop – a sudden noise like a small explosion
- putter – a short, quiet, low sound at a slow speed
- ring – to make a bell produce a sound
- roar – to make a continuous, very loud noise
- rumble – a continuous deep sound
- scream – to make a very loud high noise
- scream – to make a very loud high noise
- screech – to make a loud, high, and unpleasant noise
- scrunch – to make a loud noise like something being crushed
- sigh – a long, soft, low sound
- squeak – to make a short, high noise
- squeal – to make a long high sound
- squee – to make a loud high noise because you are excited or happy
- thrum- to make a low regular noise like one object gently hitting another many times
- thud – a dull sound when falling or hitting something
- thump – to hit against something with a low loud sound
- tinkle – to make a high, ringing sound
- wail – to make a long, high sound
- wheeze – a high sound, as though a lot of air is being pushed through it
- whine – a high, loud sound
- whirr – a fast, repeated, quiet sound
- whisper – to make a quiet, gentle sound
- whistle – to make a high sound by forcing air through your mouth in order to get someone's attention
- yelp – a short, loud, high sound, usually caused by excitement, anger, or pain
- yowl – a long, loud, unhappy sound or complaint
Use these words to describe sounds and make your writing come alive.
Top Tip : Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop .
by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson
If you enjoyed this post, read:
- 75 Words That Describe Smells
- 20 Words Used To Describe Specific Tastes And Flavours
- 209 Words To Describe Touch
- Three Simple Ways To Show And Not Tell
- 12 Crucial Things To Remember About Setting
- Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language
- 20 Fun Ways To Find An Idea For A Plot
Sources:
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/miscellaneous-words-used-to-describe-sounds
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/describing-sounds-that-are-unpleasant-to-listen-to
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/describing-sounds-that-are-low-and-or-deep
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/describing-sounds-that-are-quiet-and-or-soft
https://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/describing-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
Top Tip: Find out more about our workbooks and online courses in our shop.
- Posted on 23rd May 2019
- (564,280 views)
How To Write Sounds In Writing
Source: https://www.writerswrite.co.za/106-ways-to-describe-sounds/
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