Introduction
Understanding and being able to describe various sounds humans make is not only helpful in everyday conversations but also in understanding different contexts, emotions, and expressions.
Below, you’ll find a list of human sounds along with their definitions and examples.
(If you are interested in animal sounds, explore our comprehensive list.)
Vocabulary – List of Human Sounds
This is a list of vocabulary related to the sounds of humans
Burp:
(Also, belch.)
To expel gas noisily from the stomach through the mouth
- The baby burped after being fed.
Cough:
To push air from the lungs in a quick, noisy explosion.
- He started to cough once he had a cold.
Hum:
To make a sound from the vocal chords without pronouncing any real words, with one’s lips closed.
- They were humming happily along with the music.
Hiccup:
The involuntary sound resulting from a spasm of the diaphragm
- He got the hiccups as soon as he started eating.
Groan
A low, mournful sound uttered in pain or grief or uttered in frustration or disapproval
- She groaned when her mother asked her to do the shopping.
Giggle
To laugh gently or in a high-pitched voice; to laugh in a silly or giddy way.
- The jokes had them giggling like little girls all evening.
Laugh
To express mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the mouth, usually accompanied by the emission of explosive or chuckling sounds from the chest and throat.
- They were told a joke and were laughing.
Pant:
A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.
- When he arrived, he was panting because he ran all the way to school.
Puff:
A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
- He took a deep breath and then let out a puff of air as he extinguished the candle.
Scream:
A loud, emphatic, exclamation of extreme emotion, usually horror, fear, excitement…
- She screamed when she saw the mouse in the kitchen.
Sniff:
To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as if to smell something.
- The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent.
Sneeze:
To expel air as a reflex induced by an irritation in the nose.
- When you sneeze people say: “God bless you!”
Snore:
To breathe during sleep with harsh, snorting noises caused by vibration of the soft palate.
- He sometimes snores and when he snores you can’t stand the sound.
Sigh:
A deep and prolonged audible inspiration or respiration of air, as when fatigued, frustrated, grieved, or relieved; the act of sighing.
- She sighed when she finally found her keys.
Slurp:
A loud sucking noise made in eating or drinking
- She slurped her soup loudly, much to the annoyance of the other diners.
Yawn:
To open the mouth widely and take a long, rather deep breath, often because one is tired and sometimes accompanied by pandiculation.
- I could see my students yawning, so I knew the lesson was boring
Whisper
The act of speaking in a quiet voice, especially, without vibration of the vocal cords.
- They were whispering when the professor started his lecture.
More sounds on Wikipedia
Test Yourself: Human Sounds Quiz
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate human sound word from the list above:
- She couldn’t stop ____________ when she watched the funny cartoon.
- After eating too quickly, he let out a loud ____________.
- The tired hiker took a deep breath and let out a contented ____________.
- When the scary movie reached its climax, the audience erupted into ____________.
- Whenever she got nervous, she would ____________ softly to herself.
- He woke up everyone in the dormitory with his loud ____________.
- The baby ____________ after finishing her bottle of milk.
- The comedian’s joke had everyone ____________ in the audience.
- As the athlete crossed the finish line, she was ____________ heavily from the exertion.
- In the library, they were asked to ____________ instead of speaking loudly.
Answer Key:
Related Pages:
- See a list of animal sounds
- Vocabulary Lessons