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Duration is the length of time each note is played for.

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Does the song have an intro (riff), chorus, verse, chorus? Does the artist seem to sing a line then the instruments play (call and response)? Does the bass feel like it is walking?

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Pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher" or "lower".

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Use the following website to help you locate descriptive words about sounds.

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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, and in previous posts. (We even have one for words that describe colours.) In this post I have included words that describe sounds.

1. audible - a sound that is loud enough to hear

2. broken - a sound that has spaces in it

3. emit - to make a sound

4. grinding - a sound of one hard thing moving against another

5. hushed - a sound that is quiet

6. inaudible - a sound that is difficult to hear

7. monotonous - a sound that is always the same and never gets louder or quieter, or higher or lower

8. muffled - a sound that is not easy to hear because it is blocked by something

9. plaintive - a sound that has a sad quality

10. rhythmic - a sound that has a clear, regular pattern

11. staccato - a sound where each word or sound is clearly separate

1. dulcet - soft and pleasant

2. lilting - a sound that has a rising and falling pattern

3. listenable - easy to listen to

4. mellow - a soft, smooth, pleasant sound

5. melodic - beautiful sound

6. musical - sounds like music

7. pure - a clear, beautiful sound

8. rich - a sound that is strong in a pleasant way

9. soft - quiet and peaceful

10. sonorous - a sound that is deep and strong in a pleasant way

11. sweet - a pleasant sound

Describing Noisy Sounds

1. at full blast - as loudly as possible

2. almighty - used for emphasising how loud something is

3. brassy - a sound that is loud and unpleasant

4. deafening - a sound so loud you cannot hear anything else

5. ear-splitting - extremely loud

6. explosive - a sound that is loud and unexpected

7. howling - a continuous, low, loud noise

8. insistent - a continuous, loud, strong noise

9. loud - a sound that is strong and very easy to hear

10. noisy - a sound that is full of noise

11. percussive - a sound that is short, like someone hitting a drum

12. piercing - a sound that is very loud, high, and unpleasant

13. pulsating - strong, regular pattern

14. raucous - rude, violent, noisy

15. resounding - a sound that is loud and that continues for a while

16. riotous - lively and noisy

17. roaring - a deep, loud noise

18. rowdy - noisy and causing trouble

19. sharp - a sound that is sudden and loud

20. shrill - a sound that is loud, high, and unpleasant

21. thundering - extremely loud

22. thunderous - loud

23. tumultuous - a sound that includes noise, excitement, activity, or violence

24. 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.

1. babble - a gentle, pleasant sound of water as it moves along in a river

2. bang - to move, making loud noises

3. beep - a short high sound or several short high sounds

4. blare - to make a loud and unpleasant noise

5. blast - to make a loud sound with a car horn

6. bleep - a short high sound or several short high sounds

7. boom - to make a deep loud sound that continues for some time

8. caterwaul - an unpleasant loud high noise

9. chime - a high ringing sound like a bell or set of bells

10. chink - a high ringing sound when knocked together, or to make something do this

11. clack -to make a short loud sound like one hard object hitting against another

12. clang - a loud, metallic sound

13. clank - a short, loud sound

14. clash - a loud, metallic sound

15. clatter - a series of short, sharp noises

16. click - a short sound like the sound when you press a switch

17. clink - to make the short high sound of glass or metal objects hitting each other, or to cause objects to make this sound

18. cluck - to make a short, low sound with your tongue

19. crash - a sudden loud noise, as if something is being hit

20. creak - if something creaks, especially something wooden, it makes a high noise when it moves or when you put weight on it

21. drone - to make a low continuous noise

22. fizz - a soft sound that small gas bubbles make when they burst

23. groan - a long, low, sound

24. growl - a low, unpleasant noise

25. grunt - to make a short low sound in your throat and nose at the same time

26. gurgle - the low sound water makes when it is poured quickly from a bottle

27. honk - to make a loud noise using a horn, especially the horn of a car

28. hoot - to make a short loud sound as a warning

29. mewl - crying with a soft, high sound

30. moan - a long, low sound

31. neigh - to make a high loud sound like a horse's neigh

32. peal - if a bell peals, or if someone peals it, it makes a loud sound

33. peep - if a car's horn peeps, it makes a sound

34. ping - to make a short high sound like the sound of a small bell

35. pipe - to make a very high sound, or to speak in a very high voice

36. pop - a sudden noise like a small explosion

37. putter - a short, quiet, low sound at a slow speed

38. ring - to make a bell produce a sound

39. roar - to make a continuous, very loud noise

40. rumble - a continuous deep sound

41. scream - to make a very loud high noise

42. scream - to make a very loud high noise

43. screech - to make a loud, high, and unpleasant noise

44. scrunch - to make a loud noise like something being crushed

45. sigh - a long, soft, low sound

46. squeak - to make a short, high noise

47. squeal - to make a long high sound

48. squee - to make a loud high noise because you are excited or happy

49. thrum- to make a low regular noise like one object gently hitting another many times

50. thud - a dull sound when falling or hitting something

51. thump - to hit against something with a low loud sound

52. tinkle - to make a high, ringing sound

53. wail - to make a long, high sound

54. wheeze - a high sound, as though a lot of air is being pushed through it

55. whine - a high, loud sound

56. whirr - a fast, repeated, quiet sound

57. whisper - to make a quiet, gentle sound

58. whistle - to make a high sound by forcing air through your mouth in order to get someone's attention

59. yelp - a short, loud, high sound, usually caused by excitement, anger, or pain

60. yowl - a long, loud, unhappy sound or complaint

Use these words to describe sounds and make your writing come alive.

by Amanda Patterson

© Amanda Patterson
If you enjoyed this post, read:

1. 75 Words That Describe Smells

2. 20 Words Used To Describe Specific Tastes And Flavours

3. 209 Words To Describe Touch

4. Three Simple Ways To Show And Not Tell

5. 12 Crucial Things To Remember About Setting

6. Cheat Sheets for Writing Body Language

7. 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

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106 Ways To Describe Sounds - A Resource For Writers

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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)'.

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Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (Official Audio)