sound
sound
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling of sound is /saʊnd/.
The word is a single syllable composed of the following sounds:
/s/: A voiceless fricative produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by the tip of the tongue against the alveolar ridge (the ridge behind your top teeth).
/aʊ/: A diphthong, or a two-part vowel sound, that starts with the open vowel sound /a/ (like in "father") and glides to the rounded vowel sound /ʊ/ (like in "put").
/n/: A voiced nasal sound made by blocking air in the mouth with the tongue against the alveolar ridge and releasing it through the nose.
/d/: A voiced stop consonant made by briefly blocking airflow with the tongue against the alveolar ridge and then releasing it.
Word Form Variations
Noun: sound (singular), sounds (plural)
Verb: sound, sounds, sounding, sounded
Adjective: sound, sounder, soundest
Adverb: soundly
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Vibrations perceived by the ear. 👂 Anything that can be heard, resulting from vibrations traveling through a medium like air.
Synonyms: noise, tone, audio, resonance
Antonyms: silence, quiet, stillness
A narrow body of water. 🌊 A large sea or ocean inlet that separates a landmass (like an island) from another landmass (like a mainland).
Synonyms: strait, channel, inlet, fjord
Antonyms: peninsula, landmass
An impression or idea. An abstract idea or general feeling that is conveyed by something.
Synonyms: impression, feeling, notion, vibe
Antonyms: reality, fact, substance
Verb
To emit a noise. To produce vibrations that can be heard.
Synonyms: resonate, ring, echo, vibrate
Antonyms: quiet, silence, mute
To seem or appear. To give a particular impression when heard, read, or perceived.
Synonyms: seem, appear, look, come across as
Antonyms: be, contradict
To measure the depth of water. 🧭 To determine how deep a body of water is, often by using sonar or a weighted line.
Synonyms: probe, measure, fathom, gauge
Antonyms: guess, estimate
To pronounce or articulate. To express a sound, letter, or word using the voice.
Synonyms: articulate, pronounce, utter, vocalize
Antonyms: mispronounce, mumble
Adjective
Healthy, stable, or in good condition. Free from damage, defect, illness, or weakness.
Synonyms: robust, solid, sturdy, reliable, healthy
Antonyms: unsound, weak, fragile, unhealthy, flawed
Based on good judgment or logic. Sensible, valid, and reliable reasoning.
Synonyms: logical, rational, valid, sensible, wise
Antonyms: illogical, irrational, flawed, foolish
Deep and undisturbed. Often used to describe a thorough sleep.
Synonyms: deep, profound, unbroken
Antonyms: light, restless, broken
Examples of Use
Noun
As in vibrations or audio:
In entertainment media, a review might note, "The film's innovative use of sound creates a deeply unsettling atmosphere, making the silence as impactful as the screams." (Bloody Disgusting, October 2023)
From a scientific publication, one might read, "Dolphins use high-frequency sounds, a process known as echolocation, to navigate and locate prey in dark waters." (National Geographic, June 2024)
In general discourse, someone might say, "The sound of rain on the roof is so relaxing."
As in a body of water:
A news report could state, "Environmental officials are monitoring water quality in the Long Island Sound following the recent heavy rainfall." (The New York Times, September 2023)
In a travel guide, you might find, "The ferry service across Puget Sound offers breathtaking views of the Seattle skyline and the surrounding mountains."
As in an impression or idea:
In a political thriller novel, a character might remark, "I don't like the sound of this new directive; it gives one person far too much power."
During a business meeting, a manager could say, "We’ve reviewed your proposal, and we like the sound of it."
Verb
As in to emit noise:
In public safety announcements, one might hear, "When you hear the alarm sound, please evacuate the building calmly and immediately."
From the book The Lord of the Rings, "A great horn sounded from the citadel, and the cries of men answered it from the walls."
As in to seem or appear:
An online article on productivity might advise, "It may sound counterintuitive, but taking short, regular breaks can actually increase your overall focus." (Forbes, July 2024)
In a television show, a character might respond to a suggestion with, "That sounds like a terrible idea."
As in to measure depth:
In a historical maritime text, you could read, "The navigator ordered a sailor to sound the channel, dropping a weighted line to ensure they didn't run aground."
As in to pronounce:
In a language learning app like Duolingo, an instruction might read: "Now, try to sound out the word 'merci' just like the native speaker."
Adjective
As in healthy, stable, or in good condition:
A financial news report might state, "Analysts believe the company is a sound investment due to its consistent growth and low debt." (The Wall Street Journal, January 2024)
After an inspection, an engineer in a movie might declare, "Despite its age, the bridge is structurally sound."
As in based on good judgment:
In a legal opinion, a judge might write, "The plaintiff's case is built on sound reasoning and compelling evidence."
In general discourse, a parent might give a child, "Sound advice is to always look both ways before crossing the street."
As in deep and undisturbed sleep:
In a novel, a passage could describe a character as being, "Finally, after the long journey, she fell into a sound sleep."
Adverb
Used as soundly:
A sports headline could proclaim, "The visiting team was soundly defeated in a lopsided 5-0 match." (ESPN, August 2023)
In common speech, someone might say, "I was so tired last night that I slept soundly through the entire thunderstorm."
10 Famous Quotes Using Sound
The empty vessel makes the loudest sound. (Plato)
It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. (William Shakespeare, Macbeth)
A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this world. (John Locke)
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. (Alan Dundes)
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. (Voltaire)
The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. (Henry Beston)
The man with a toothache thinks everyone happy whose teeth are sound. (George Bernard Shaw)
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. (Douglas Adams)
The hills are alive with the sound of music. (Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, The Sound of Music)
A seed grows with no sound, but a tree falls with huge noise. (Confucius)
Etymology
The word sound is fascinating because it's not actually one word, but three separate words from different origins that, by coincidence, all ended up being spelled and pronounced the same way in modern English.
Here is a breakdown of each origin:
1. Sound (as in noise)
This is the most common meaning.
Origin: This word comes to us from Latin. The Latin word for noise was sonus.
The Journey: From Latin sonus, it traveled into Old French as son, and then into Middle English as soun.
First Use and Meaning: Since its earliest known use, it has always meant "that which is heard" or "vibrations traveling through the air."
Fun Fact: You might wonder where the "d" at the end came from. Around the 14th century, English speakers simply started adding a "d" sound to the end, likely because it was easier or felt more natural to say. The same thing happened with the word "thunder" (from the older thunor).
2. Sound (as in healthy, solid, or reliable)
This meaning has a completely different, Germanic root.
Origin: This version comes from the Old English word gesund, which meant "healthy, whole, or uninjured."
The Journey: This word is related to words in other Germanic languages that still mean "healthy" today, like gesund in German and gezond in Dutch.
First Use and Meaning: Its first meaning was purely about physical health. Over time, the idea of being "whole" or "uninjured" was applied to other things. If a building's foundation was whole, it was sound. If an argument was whole and logical, it was sound advice. If your sleep was whole and uninterrupted, it was a sound sleep.
3. Sound (as in a body of water and to measure depth)
This third version comes from Old Norse and is related to swimming.
Origin: This word comes from the Old Norse word sund.
The Journey: Sund had two related meanings: "swimming" and "strait" or "channel of water." The idea was that a "sound" was a body of water narrow enough that one could swim across it.
First Use and Meaning: Its earliest meaning was a strait or inlet, like Puget Sound or Long Island Sound. The related verb "to sound the depths" came from a French word, sonder (to measure with a line), but it became associated with the watery meaning of sund because that's where you would perform the action.
So, when you use the word "sound," you are actually using one of three ancient words that have all converged into a single, versatile term.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Sound
Safe and sound: Unharmed and secure, especially after a dangerous or risky situation.
Sound asleep: In a deep, undisturbed sleep. 😴
Sound as a bell: In perfect condition or excellent health.
To sound someone out: To discreetly try to discover someone's opinion or intentions.
To sound off: To express one's opinions loudly, forcefully, or angrily.
Doesn't like the sound of that: To have a bad feeling or negative impression about something one has just heard.
Sound and fury: A great deal of noise and angry talk, but with little actual substance or meaning.
Of sound mind: Mentally healthy and legally competent; rational.
Sounding board: A person or group whose reactions to an idea are used as a test of its validity or effectiveness.
Sound bite: A short, catchy, and memorable clip of speech taken from a longer recording, often used in news media. 🎙️
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of sound from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
