Ask Difference

Clang vs. Sound — What's the Difference?

By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 28, 2024
Clang refers to a sharp, resonant metallic noise, while sound encompasses all types of noises and vibrations perceived by the ear.
Clang vs. Sound — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Clang and Sound

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Key Differences

Clang specifically denotes a loud, ringing sound made by metallic objects when struck, often harsh and echoing. On the other hand, sound is a broader term that refers to any auditory sensation caused by vibrations traveling through air, water, or other mediums.
The term clang is usually associated with specific contexts like the clanging of a bell or the clash of metal in a factory, highlighting its metallic quality. Sound, however, can describe any auditory experience, from music to speech to environmental noises.
While clang conveys a sense of sharpness and suddenness in the noise it describes, sound can vary widely in quality, duration, and intensity, covering a spectrum from soft whispers to deafening explosions.
In literature or descriptive writing, clang is often used to create a vivid, immediate impression, particularly in scenes involving conflict or mechanical activity. Sound, by contrast, is used more generically to set scenes or indicate background activity.
Physically, the production of a clang involves the rapid collision of metal objects, which creates a distinctive resonance. Sound production, however, encompasses any event that causes air or another medium to vibrate, making it a fundamental concept in acoustics.
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Comparison Chart

Definition

A sharp, resonant metallic noise
Any auditory sensation caused by vibrations

Contexts

Metal striking, industrial noises
All-encompassing auditory experiences

Qualitative Nature

Harsh, echoing, sharp
Can range from soft to loud, harsh to melodic

Usage in Writing

Vivid, specific settings
General auditory descriptions

Physical Production

Collision of metal objects
Vibrations in air or another medium

Compare with Definitions

Clang

A loud, ringing noise that often reverberates.
The sudden clang of the dropped tray startled everyone.

Sound

Fundamental to speech and communication.
The clarity of his sound made every word he said intelligible.

Clang

Associated with industrial or mechanical environments.
The constant clang of the factory machines was relentless.

Sound

Any noise or tone distinguished by its pitch and volume.
The sound of her laughter filled the room.

Clang

A resonant sound made by the striking of metal.
The clang of the hammer against the steel echoed through the shop.

Sound

Vibrations that travel through air or another medium and can be heard.
The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was soothing.

Clang

Describes the sound of bells or alarms in many contexts.
The fire alarm let out a piercing clang that warned everyone.

Sound

Used to describe audible expressions in various forms.
The eerie sound in the hallway turned out to be just the wind.

Clang

Characteristic of the sound produced by metallic impacts.
The clang from the collision of the swords was deafening.

Sound

Often associated with musical or natural contexts.
The sound of the violin brought tears to their eyes.

Clang

Clang is a compiler front end for the C, C++, Objective-C and Objective-C++ programming languages, as well as the OpenMP, OpenCL, RenderScript, CUDA and HIP frameworks. It uses the LLVM compiler infrastructure as its back end and has been part of the LLVM release cycle since LLVM 2.6.

Sound

In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the reception of such waves and their perception by the brain.

Clang

A loud, resonant, metallic sound.

Sound

Vibrations transmitted through an elastic solid or a liquid or gas, with frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing.

Clang

The strident call of a crane or goose.

Sound

Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.

Clang

To make or cause to make a clang.

Sound

The sensation stimulated in the organs of hearing by such vibrations in the air or other medium.

Clang

A loud, ringing sound, like that made by free-hanging metal objects striking each other.

Sound

Such sensations considered as a group.

Clang

Quality of tone.

Sound

A distinctive noise
A hollow sound.

Clang

The cry of some birds, including the crane and the goose.

Sound

The distance over which something can be heard
Within sound of my voice.

Clang

A word or phrase linked only by sound and not by meaning, characteristic of some mental disorders.

Sound

An articulation made by the vocal apparatus
A vowel sound.

Clang

(music) klang

Sound

The distinctive character of such an articulation
The words bear and bare have the same sound.

Clang

(transitive) To strike (objects) together so as to produce a clang.

Sound

A mental impression; an implication
Didn't like the sound of the invitation.

Clang

(intransitive) To give out a clang; to resound.

Sound

Auditory material that is recorded, as for a movie.

Clang

(humorous) name-dropped]] (mentioned a famous person with whom they are acquainted).

Sound

Meaningless noise.

Clang

To strike together so as to produce a ringing metallic sound.
The fierce Caretes . . . clanged their sounding arms.

Sound

(Music) A distinctive style, as of an orchestra or singer.

Clang

To give out a clang; to resound.

Sound

(Archaic) Rumor; report.

Clang

Quality of tone.

Sound

A long, relatively wide body of water, larger than a strait or a channel, connecting larger bodies of water.

Clang

A loud resonant repeating noise;
He could hear the clang of distant bells

Sound

A long, wide ocean inlet.

Clang

Make a loud noise;
Clanging metal

Sound

(Archaic) The swim bladder of a fish.

Sound

An instrument used to examine or explore body cavities, as for foreign bodies or other abnormalities, or to dilate strictures in them.

Sound

To make or give forth a sound
The siren sounded.

Sound

To be given forth as a sound
The fanfare sounded.

Sound

To present a particular impression
That argument sounds reasonable.

Sound

To cause to give forth or produce a sound
Sounded the gong.

Sound

To summon, announce, or signal by a sound
Sound a warning.

Sound

(Linguistics) To articulate; pronounce
Sound a vowel.

Sound

To make known; celebrate
"Nations unborn your mighty names shall sound" (Alexander Pope).

Sound

To examine (a body organ or part) by causing to emit sound; auscultate.

Sound

To measure the depth of (water), especially by means of a weighted line; fathom.

Sound

To try to learn the attitudes or opinions of
Sounded out her feelings.

Sound

To probe (a body cavity) with a sound.

Sound

To measure depth.

Sound

To dive swiftly downward. Used of a marine mammal or a fish.

Sound

To look into a possibility; investigate.

Sound

Free from defect, decay, or damage; in good condition
Is the bridge sound?.

Sound

Free from disease or injury.

Sound

Marked by or showing common sense and good judgment; levelheaded
A sound approach to the problem.

Sound

Based on valid reasoning; having no logical flaws
A sound conclusion.
Sound reasoning.

Sound

(Logic) Of or relating to an argument in which all the premises are true and the conclusion follows from the premises.

Sound

Secure or stable
A partnership that started on a sound footing.

Sound

Financially secure or safe
A sound economy.

Sound

Thorough; complete
Gave their rivals a sound thrashing.

Sound

Deep and unbroken; undisturbed
A sound sleep.

Sound

Compatible with an accepted point of view; orthodox
Sound doctrine.

Sound

Thoroughly; deeply
Sound asleep.

Sound

Healthy.
He was safe and sound.
In horse management a sound horse is one with no health problems that might affect its suitability for its intended work.

Sound

Complete, solid, or secure.
Fred assured me the floorboards were sound.

Sound

Having the property of soundness.

Sound

Good; acceptable; decent.
How are you? —I'm sound.
That's a sound track you're playing.
See that man over there? He's sound. You should get to know him.

Sound

(of sleep) Quiet and deep.
Sound asleep means sleeping peacefully, and often deeply.
Her sleep was sound.

Sound

Heavy; laid on with force.
A sound beating

Sound

Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective.
A sound title to land

Sound

Soundly.

Sound

Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm.
I found my jacket. — Sound.

Sound

A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.
He turned when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.
Nobody made a sound.

Sound

A vibration capable of causing such sensations.

Sound

(music) A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra, &.

Sound

Noise without meaning; empty noise.

Sound

, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.
Stay within the sound of my voice.

Sound

(phonetics) A segment as a part of spoken language, the smallest unit of spoken language, a speech sound.

Sound

A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean.
Puget Sound; Owen Sound; Long Island Sound

Sound

The air bladder of a fish.
Cod sounds are an esteemed article of food.

Sound

A long, thin probe for sounding or dilating body cavities or canals such as the urethra; a sonde.

Sound

(intransitive) To produce a sound.
When the horn sounds, take cover.

Sound

(copulative) To convey an impression by one's sound.
He sounded good when we last spoke.
That story sounds like a pack of lies!

Sound

(intransitive) To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.

Sound

To resound.

Sound

To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law, or as likely to result in a particular kind of legal remedy.
In my opinion this claim sounds in damages rather than in an injunction.

Sound

(transitive) To cause to produce a sound.
Sound the alarm!
He sounds the instrument.

Sound

To pronounce.
The "e" in "house" isn't sounded.

Sound

(intransitive) Dive downwards, used of a whale.
The whale sounded and eight hundred feet of heavy line streaked out of the line tub before he ended his dive.

Sound

To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.
When I sounded him, he appeared to favor the proposed deal.

Sound

Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.
Mariners on sailing ships would sound the depth of the water with a weighted rope.

Sound

(medicine) To examine with the instrument called a sound or sonde, or by auscultation or percussion.
To sound a patient, or the bladder or urethra

Sound

The air bladder of a fish; as, cod sounds are an esteemed article of food.

Sound

A cuttlefish.

Sound

A narrow passage of water, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean; as, the Sound between the Baltic and the german Ocean; Long Island Sound.
The Sound of Denmark, where ships pay toll.

Sound

Any elongated instrument or probe, usually metallic, by which cavities of the body are sounded or explored, especially the bladder for stone, or the urethra for a stricture.

Sound

The peceived object occasioned by the impulse or vibration of a material substance affecting the ear; a sensation or perception of the mind received through the ear, and produced by the impulse or vibration of the air or other medium with which the ear is in contact; the effect of an impression made on the organs of hearing by an impulse or vibration of the air caused by a collision of bodies, or by other means; noise; report; as, the sound of a drum; the sound of the human voice; a horrid sound; a charming sound; a sharp, high, or shrill sound.
The warlike soundOf trumpets loud and clarions.

Sound

The occasion of sound; the impulse or vibration which would occasion sound to a percipient if present with unimpaired; hence, the theory of vibrations in elastic media such cause sound; as, a treatise on sound.

Sound

Noise without signification; empty noise; noise and nothing else.
Sense and not sound . . . must be the principle.

Sound

Whole; unbroken; unharmed; free from flaw, defect, or decay; perfect of the kind; as, sound timber; sound fruit; a sound tooth; a sound ship.

Sound

Healthy; not diseased; not being in a morbid state; - said of body or mind; as, a sound body; a sound constitution; a sound understanding.

Sound

Firm; strong; safe.
The brasswork here, how rich it is in beams,And how, besides, it makes the whole house sound.

Sound

Free from error; correct; right; honest; true; faithful; orthodox; - said of persons; as, a sound lawyer; a sound thinker.
Do not I know you a favorerOf this new seat? Ye are nor sound.

Sound

Founded in truth or right; supported by justice; not to be overthrown on refuted; not fallacious; as, sound argument or reasoning; a sound objection; sound doctrine; sound principles.
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me.

Sound

Heavy; laid on with force; as, a sound beating.

Sound

Undisturbed; deep; profound; as, sound sleep.

Sound

Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective; as, a sound title to land.

Sound

Soundly.
So sound he slept that naught might him awake.

Sound

To measure the depth of; to fathom; especially, to ascertain the depth of by means of a line and plummet.

Sound

To explore, as the bladder or urethra, with a sound; to examine with a sound; also, to examine by auscultation or percussion; as, to sound a patient.

Sound

To ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.
I sound as a shipman soundeth in the sea with his plummet to know the depth of sea.

Sound

To make a noise; to utter a voice; to make an impulse of the air that shall strike the organs of hearing with a perceptible effect.
How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues!

Sound

To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.
From you sounded out the word of the Lord.

Sound

To make or convey a certain impression, or to have a certain import, when heard; hence, to seem; to appear; as, this reproof sounds harsh; the story sounds like an invention.
Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fearThings that do sound so fair?
Soun[d]ing in moral virtue was his speech.

Sound

To cause to make a noise; to play on; as, to sound a trumpet or a horn; to sound an alarm.
A bagpipe well could he play and soun[d].

Sound

To cause to exit as a sound; as, to sound a note with the voice, or on an instrument.

Sound

To order, direct, indicate, or proclain by a sound, or sounds; to give a signal for by a certain sound; as, to sound a retreat; to sound a parley.
The clock sounded the hour of noon.

Sound

To celebrate or honor by sounds; to cause to be reported; to publish or proclaim; as, to sound the praises of fame of a great man or a great exploit.

Sound

To examine the condition of (anything) by causing the same to emit sounds and noting their character; as, to sound a piece of timber; to sound a vase; to sound the lungs of a patient.

Sound

To signify; to import; to denote.
Soun[d]ing alway the increase of his winning.

Sound

The particular auditory effect produced by a given cause;
The sound of rain on the roof
The beautiful sound of music

Sound

The subjective sensation of hearing something;
He strained to hear the faint sounds

Sound

Mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium;
Falling trees make a sound in the forest even when no one is there to hear them

Sound

The sudden occurrence of an audible event;
The sound awakened them

Sound

The audible part of a transmitted signal;
They always raise the audio for commercials

Sound

(phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language

Sound

A narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water

Sound

A large ocean inlet or deep bay;
The main body of the sound ran parallel to the coast

Sound

Appear in a certain way;
This sounds interesting

Sound

Make a certain noise or sound;
She went `Mmmmm'
The gun went `bang'

Sound

Give off a certain sound or sounds;
This record sounds scratchy

Sound

Announce by means of a sound;
Sound the alarm

Sound

Utter with vibrating vocal chords

Sound

Cause to sound;
Sound the bell
Sound a certain note

Sound

Measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line

Sound

Financially secure and safe;
Sound investments
A sound economy

Sound

Exercising or showing good judgment;
Healthy scepticism
A healthy fear of rattlesnakes
The healthy attitude of French laws
Healthy relations between labor and management
An intelligent solution
A sound approach to the problem
Sound advice
No sound explanation for his decision

Sound

In good condition; free from defect or damage or decay;
A sound timber
The wall is sound
A sound foundation

Sound

In excellent physical condition;
Good teeth
I still have one good leg
A sound mind in a sound body

Sound

Reflects weight of sound argument or evidence;
A sound argument

Sound

Having legal efficacy or force;
A sound title to the property

Sound

Free from moral defect;
A man of sound character

Sound

(of sleep) deep and complete;
A heavy sleep
Fell into a profound sleep
A sound sleeper
Deep wakeless sleep

Sound

Thorough;
A sound thrashing

Sound

Deeply or completely;
Slept soundly through the storm
Is sound asleep

Common Curiosities

Is clang used outside of describing metal sounds?

It is primarily used for metallic sounds but can describe any similarly sharp, resonant noise.

How is the intensity of a clang measured?

Typically through decibels (dB), similar to other sounds.

What are the characteristics of a sound wave?

Sound waves are characterized by their wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and speed.

What does clang specifically refer to?

It refers to a sharp, resonant metallic noise made by objects striking each other.

How does sound differ from noise?

Sound is a general term for what is heard, while noise often implies unwanted or disruptive sounds.

Can sound be visualized?

Yes, through various forms like waveforms or spectrograms.

What role does sound play in communication?

It is essential for verbal interaction and conveys information beyond words through tone and volume.

Are there sounds that humans cannot hear?

Yes, sounds outside the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, known as infrasound and ultrasound, respectively, are inaudible to humans.

How do acoustics affect the perception of clang?

Acoustics can enhance or diminish the sharpness and resonance of clang, affecting how it is perceived.

What is the fastest medium for sound travel?

Sound travels fastest through solids, slower through liquids, and slowest through gases.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza Rafique
Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.

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