Noise vs. Sound — What's the Difference?

Unwanted or disturbing sound.

Vibrations perceived by the ear.

Sounds that are loud, jarring, or chaotic.

The particular auditory effect produced by an entity.

Random fluctuations that can interfere with signals.

A distinctive noise or tone.

Auditory disturbances caused by specific sources.

A noise, whether harmonious or not.

Disruptive sounds that can cause annoyance.

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.

Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, noise is indistinguishable from desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water.

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.

A sound, especially one that is loud or unpleasant or that causes disturbance

Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.

Irregular fluctuations that accompany a transmitted electrical signal but are not part of it and tend to obscure it

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

Talk about or make known publicly

Such sensations considered as a group.

Make much noise

A distinctive noise

Sound or a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired.

The distance over which something can be heard

Sound or a sound of any kind

An articulation made by the vocal apparatus

A loud outcry or commotion

The distinctive character of such an articulation

(Physics) A disturbance, especially a random and persistent disturbance, that obscures or reduces the clarity of a signal.

A mental impression; an implication

(Computers) Irrelevant or meaningless data.

Auditory material that is recorded, as for a movie.

A complaint or protest.

Meaningless noise.

Rumor; talk.

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

Noises Remarks or actions intended to convey a specific impression or to attract attention

(Archaic) Rumor; report.

To spread the rumor or report of.

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

(uncountable) Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant.

A long, wide ocean inlet.

Any sound.

(Archaic) The swim bladder of a fish.

Sound or signal generated by random fluctuations.

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

(technology) Any part of a signal or data that reduces the clarity, precision, or quality of the desired output.

To make or give forth a sound

Unwanted fuss or bustle; useless activity.

To be given forth as a sound

(genetics) The measured level of variation in gene expression among cells, regardless of source, within a supposedly identical population.

To present a particular impression

Rumour or complaint.

To cause to give forth or produce a sound

(informal) Speech that is suggestive of an attitude or opinion.

To summon, announce, or signal by a sound

(obsolete) Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band.

(Linguistics) To articulate; pronounce

(music) A genre of rock music that uses static and other non-musical sounds, also influenced by art rock.

To make known; celebrate

(intransitive) To make a noise; to sound.

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

(transitive) To spread news of; to spread as rumor or gossip.

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

Sound of any kind.

To try to learn the attitudes or opinions of

Especially, loud, confused, or senseless sound; clamor; din.

To probe (a body cavity) with a sound.

Loud or continuous talk; general talk or discussion; rumor; report.

To measure depth.

Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band.

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

To sound; to make a noise.

To look into a possibility; investigate.

To spread by rumor or report.

Free from defect, decay, or damage; in good condition

To disturb with noise.

Free from disease or injury.

Sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound);

Marked by or showing common sense and good judgment; levelheaded

The auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience;

Based on valid reasoning; having no logical flaws

Electrical or acoustic activity that can disturb communication

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

A loud outcry of protest or complaint;

Secure or stable

Incomprehensibility resulting from irrelevant information or meaningless facts or remarks;

Financially secure or safe

The quality of lacking any predictable order or plan

Thorough; complete

Emit a noise

Deep and unbroken; undisturbed

Compatible with an accepted point of view; orthodox

Thoroughly; deeply

Healthy.

Complete, solid, or secure.

Having the property of soundness.

Good; acceptable; decent.

(of sleep) Quiet and deep.

Heavy; laid on with force.

Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective.

Soundly.

Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm.

A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.

A vibration capable of causing such sensations.

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

Noise without meaning; empty noise.

, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.

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

The air bladder of a fish.

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

(intransitive) To produce a sound.

(copulative) To convey an impression by one's sound.

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

To resound.

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.

(transitive) To cause to produce a sound.

To pronounce.

(intransitive) Dive downwards, used of a whale.

To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.

Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.

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

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

A cuttlefish.

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.

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.

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 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.

Noise without signification; empty noise; noise and nothing else.

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

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

Firm; strong; safe.

Free from error; correct; right; honest; true; faithful; orthodox; - said of persons; as, a sound lawyer; a sound thinker.

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.

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

Undisturbed; deep; profound; as, sound sleep.

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

Soundly.

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

Fig.: To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.

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.

To ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.

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.

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

To cause to make a noise; to play on; as, to sound a trumpet or a horn; to sound an alarm.

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

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.

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.

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.

To signify; to import; to denote.

The particular auditory effect produced by a given cause;

The subjective sensation of hearing something;

Mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium;

The sudden occurrence of an audible event;

The audible part of a transmitted signal;

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

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

A large ocean inlet or deep bay;

Appear in a certain way;

Make a certain noise or sound;

Give off a certain sound or sounds;

Announce by means of a sound;

Utter with vibrating vocal chords

Cause to sound;

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

Financially secure and safe;

Exercising or showing good judgment;

In good condition; free from defect or damage or decay;

In excellent physical condition;

Reflects weight of sound argument or evidence;

Having legal efficacy or force;

Free from moral defect;

(of sleep) deep and complete;

Thorough;

Deeply or completely;

An auditory sensation produced by oscillations.

Noise is often perceived as unwanted or disruptive sound.

Sound is produced by the vibration of objects, creating waves in a medium.

Yes, perceptions can vary; what's melodious to one might be noise to another.

No, there are sounds beyond human hearing range, like ultrasonic or infrasonic sounds.

White noise is a type of sound with equal intensity across all frequencies, often used to mask other sounds.

To ensure the well-being of residents and prevent health issues from chronic noise exposure.

No, while all noise is sound, not all sounds are considered noise.

Yes, most cities have noise ordinances to maintain a peaceful environment.

They often don't; in fact, noise-canceling headphones can reduce ambient noise.

Yes, it's subjective; one person's music might be another person's noise.

Sound is measured in decibels (dB) using a sound level meter.

Chronic exposure to noise can lead to stress, sleep disturbances, and even hearing loss.

Absolutely, sounds like music or nature can relax, entertain, or even heal.

Repetition or increased volume can cause once-pleasant sounds to be perceived as noise.

Animals have varied hearing ranges and can perceive sounds differently, with some noises causing them distress.