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Word bank 5 of 8 · 79 words · Free to print

Sounds word bank

Words for quiet and loud sounds, animal noises, water, machines and voices, plus onomatopoeia to make a scene come alive.

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About this word bank

Sound is the sense children most often forget, yet it's one of the best for building atmosphere. A silent room where a clock ticks feels tense; a kitchen where pans clatter feels busy and warm.

Groups run from soft to loud where that helps. Many of these words are onomatopoeia: they sound like the noise they describe.

In each group the words run from soft to loud.

The words

  • Quiet sounds

    For tension, night-time and calm.

    1. tick
    2. patter
    3. rustle
    4. swish
    5. hum
    6. murmur
    7. whisper
    8. sigh
    9. creak
    10. hiss

    In the silence, the only sound was the tick of the kitchen clock.

    Something rustled in the hedge, then stopped.

  • Loud sounds

    For action, shocks and chaos.

    1. thud
    2. bang
    3. clatter
    4. crash
    5. slam
    6. boom
    7. blare
    8. roar
    9. thunder
    10. deafening
    11. ear-splitting

    The tray slipped from Jamal's hands and hit the floor with a clatter that silenced the canteen.

  • Animal sounds

    Name the creature by its noise.

    1. chirp
    2. tweet
    3. coo
    4. purr
    5. buzz
    6. bleat
    7. squawk
    8. hoot
    9. bark
    10. yelp
    11. growl
    12. howl
    13. screech

    An owl hooted from the churchyard, and a dog barked in reply.

    The cat purred on Grandma's lap, ignoring the squawking gulls outside.

  • Water sounds

    From a dripping tap to a waterfall.

    1. drip
    2. plop
    3. trickle
    4. lap
    5. gurgle
    6. babble
    7. splash
    8. slosh
    9. gush
    10. surge
    11. pound

    The stream babbled over the stones, and somewhere a tap dripped steadily.

  • Metal and machine sounds

    For kitchens, factories, trains and robots.

    1. clink
    2. beep
    3. whirr
    4. click
    5. jangle
    6. rattle
    7. clank
    8. clang
    9. grind
    10. screech
    11. rumble

    The old lift clanked and rattled its way up to the top floor.

  • Voice sounds

    Laughing, crying and calling out.

    1. giggle
    2. snigger
    3. chuckle
    4. gasp
    5. sob
    6. groan
    7. mutter
    8. cry
    9. wail
    10. scream
    11. bellow

    A snigger ran round the back row as the teacher's chair squeaked.

  • Onomatopoeia

    Words that sound like their meaning.

    1. fizz
    2. pop
    3. sizzle
    4. crackle
    5. crunch
    6. squelch
    7. splat
    8. thwack
    9. whoosh
    10. zip
    11. ping
    12. boing

    Sausages sizzled in the pan while the fire crackled in the grate.

    Our boots squelched through the mud, and the wind went whoosh through the trees.

How to use this word bank without overdoing it

  • Use silence as well as sound. "The birds had stopped singing" can be scarier than a scream.
  • One clear sound in a sentence beats a jumble of noises.
  • Use sound to signal something new: a creak, a thud or a whisper is a good way to start the problem in a story.
  • Onomatopoeia works best in small doses. One "crunch" is vivid; a page of "bang! crash! wallop!" reads like a comic.

Practice: Listen and write

  1. Sit quietly for one minute, wherever you are, and list every sound you can hear.
  2. Find a better word for each one using this word bank.
  3. Use the three best sounds in a short paragraph that sets a scene.

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Learn the meanings: Speaking & sounds

Not sure what a word means? The 11+ vocabulary pages explain words like these, with examples and a quick quiz.

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Questions parents ask

What is onomatopoeia?

A word that sounds like the noise it describes, such as sizzle, crunch, buzz, splash or whoosh. It brings a scene to life and is worth using once or twice in an 11+ story.

How do I describe sounds in a story?

Pick a precise verb (the door creaked, the tray clattered) rather than "made a noise". Say where the sound comes from and, if it matters, how the character reacts to it.