A COLLABORATIVE POST
WRITTEN BY BOOM BOX POST
Several years ago, we created multiple blogs with keywords to help you search your sound library and find the desired effects. This year, we have combined those blogs into one comprehensive sound effects glossary, adding more key terms to assist with your project. Hopefully, this will make it easier to find all the correct sound effects you need!
Remember: If you are having trouble finding the right sound effect, try rethinking your search terms. Consider the surface, texture, age, and speed of the sound. Using these specific keywords can help you find the perfect sound effect!
Modifier
Fast - Use this modifier when looking for sounds with a quick duration. Also look up: Short, Quick
Old - A modifier for sounds that are typically somewhat poor in quality, as though they were recorded a long time ago. This term is about looking for a specific character in your sound. Also look up: Classic, Antique
Movement - This modifier can be added to any search requiring both a material and motion. Also look up in short form: Mvmt
Slide - This modifier signifies a changing in pitch; a character often associated with violin recordings or whistles to convey emotion in cartoony moments.
Steady - Use this modifier when looking for a sound whose level remains essentially constant. Think of a car idling.
Up/Down - Add these modifiers to your search to convey the pitch motion of your sound. Slide whistle Up, for example, would start at a low pitch and end on a high pitch.
AIR
Breeze - A gentle wind.
Blast - A strong gust of wind or air.
Gust - A brief, strong rush of wind.
Puff - A short, explosive burst of breath or wind.
Poof - Used to convey the suddenness with which someone or something disappears.
Whistling Wind - A wind that has a moving tone and sounds cold.
ANIMALS
Buzz - A humming or murmuring sound made by or similar to that made by an insect.
Chitter - Small animal noise, repetitive and often cute sounding. Think squirrel or hamster.
Flutter - The sound of flying unsteadily or hovering by flapping the wings quickly and lightly. Also look up: Beat, Quiver, Wing
Flap - The sound a bird's wings make whilst flying.
Gallop - A fast walk cycle of a horse or other four legged creature, usually with 3-4 audible steps. Also look up: Trot, Canter, Hoof, Hooves
Honk - The cry of a wild goose. Also look up: Gander, Goose
Neigh - A characteristic high-pitched sound uttered by a horse. Also look up: Bray, Knicker, Whinny
Squawk - A loud, harsh or discordant noise made by a bird. Also look up: Screech, Squeal, Shriek, Scream, Croak, Crow, Caw, Cluck, Cackle, Hoot, Cry, Call
Quack - The characteristic harsh sound made by a duck. Also look up: Duck, Mallard
Ribbit - The characteristic croaking sound of a frog. Also look up: Frog, Toad, Croak
Ruckle - The repetitive, throaty warble character of a sound. Typically emanating from the depths of a large animal or monster. Think of the T-Rex growl from Jurassic Park.
Woof - The sound made by a barking dog. Also look up: Bark, Howl, Yelp, Whimper, Dog
Yelp - A short sharp cry, especially of pain or alarm. Also look up: Squeal, Shriek, Howl, Yowl, Yell, Cry
AMBIENCE/BACKGROUNDS
Ambience - Atmospheric sounds to build the space of a scene. Also look up: Background, Amb, Environment, BGK, BGS
Alpine - Relating to high mountains.
Bird - Chirping of a bird to signify dawn/day. Also look up: Birdsong
Brush - The sound of leaves or foliage. Also look up: Leaves, Bush, Foliage, Twig, Wind
Cicada - Waves of cicada insect buzzing that often indicate warm weather or grasslands.
Cricket - Chirping of a cricket to signify dusk/night.
Drone - A low continuous humming sound. Also look up: Hum, Low Drone
Grassland - A large open area of country covered with grass.
Industrial - Warehouses and factories. Also look up: Warehouse, Open Space, Factory
Insect - The sound of multiple insects in an outdoor space, such as insects, cicadas, flies, bees, etc.
Neon - The sound of fluorescent lighting or signs.
Roomtone - The Sound of an indoor space. Also look up: AC, Hum, Vent
Sea - The sound of open ocean. Also look up: Ocean, Water, Waves
Traffic - The collective sound energy produced by vehicles, including their engines, exhaust, tires, and other components.
Underwater - Beneath the surface of water. Also look up: Bubbles
Wind - The sound of air moving through an outdoor environment. Try adding a modifier for the texture such as grass, trees, window
BELLs/horns
Ahoogah - The sound of a particular type of horn. Also look up: Model A, Model T, Antique Horn, Bulb Horn
Bell Tree - The sound of chimes that usually ascend or descend in pitch. Also look up: Gliss, Wind Chime
Buzzer - An electrical device that makes a buzzing noise and is used for signaling.
Clock - The sound of a steady ticking or chiming noise. Also look up: Tick, TicToc, Timer
Doorbell - A two-tone sound, like "ding-dong", made by striking two tuned metal bars.
Jingle - A light ringing sound such as that made by metal objects being shaken together. Also look up: Clink, Chink, Tinkle, Jangle, Chime, Sleigh Bells
Screamer - Another term for a firework whistle. Also look up: Shell Scream
Sail Zip - A long trailing whistle. Great for something being thrown. Also look up: Zip, Slide Whistle
Siren - Loud, wailing warning signal
ELECTRIC
Arc - The sound of electricity jumping from one connection to another. Also look up: Spark, Zap
Beep - The tonal sound of a button press.
Buzz - A low, vibrating, humming sound.
Click - A sharp sound as of a switch being operated or two hard objects coming quickly into contact. Also look up: Clack, Snap, Pop, Tick, Clink, Switch, Button
Electricity - The sound of an electrical current, often wavering in volume and intensity. Also look up: Arc, Crackle, Spark
Laser - The sound of a synthetic weapon. Also look up: Ray Gun, Pulse, Beam
Telemetry - Rhythmic and somewhat repetitive beeps. The sound of calculating technology. Also look up: Computer, Scan, Beeps, Tech, Process
Servo - Short for servomechanism, this is the sound you would typically associate with the moments of a robot or other motorized electronics. Also look up: Robot
Spark - A sharp crack or snapping sound, or a crackling noise Also look up: Arc
Zap - A sudden burst of energy or sound. Also look up: Laser, Beam, Synth, Sci-Fi
HUMAN
Chomp - Munch or chew vigorously and noisily. Also look up: Munch, Crunch, Chew, Bite
Groan - A moaning sound when pressure/weight is applied to an object OR an inarticulate sound in response to pain or despair. Also look up: Moan, Cry, Whimper
Glug - The sound of drinking or pouring (liquid) with a hollow gurgling sound. Also look up: Pour, Drain
Scream - A long, loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain. Also look up: Shriek, Screech, Yell, Howl, Shout, Bellow, Bawl, Yelp, Squeal, Wail, Squawk
Screech - A loud, harsh, piercing cry. Also look up: Shriek, Scream, Squeal
Slurp - A loud sucking sound made while eating or drinking. Also look up: Suck, Drink, Straw, Lick
Yelp - A short sharp cry, especially of pain or alarm. Also look up: Squeal, Shriek, Howl, Yowl, Yell, Cry, Shout
Walla - A sound effect imitating the murmur of a crowd in the background. Also look up: Crowd, Chatter
IMPACTS
Bodyfall - A sound made by a body falling onto a hard surface. Also look up: Body Hit, Land
Boom - A loud, deep, resonant sound. Also look up: Explosion, Slam, Crash, Drum, Taiko, Rumble
Crash - A sudden loud noise as of something breaking or hitting another object. Also look up: Bang, Smash, Crack, Bump, Thud, Clatter, Clunk, Clang, Hit
Drop - The sound of something falling to the ground.
Hit - The sound of striking or being struck.
Impact - The sound of a collision, be it small or large.
Konk - A hollow hit, usually tonal in nature. Also look up: Bonk, Coconut, Hollow
Smash - The sound of moving so as to hit or collide with something with great force and impact. Also look up: Collide
Stinger - A musical sweetener that helps place emphasis on a dramatic moment. Also look up: Trailer Hit, Action
Rise - A cinematic musical or tonal element ascending in pitch, usually for the purpose of creating suspense. Also look up: Riser, Suspense, Suction.
METAL
Jingle - A light ringing sound such as that made by metal objects being shaken together. Also look up: Clink, Chink, Tinkle, Jangle, Chime, Sleigh Bells
Ratchet - A repetitive clicking sound. Also look up: Crank, Pulley, Latch, Turnstile
Rattle - A rapid succession of short, sharp, hard sounds. Also look up: Clatter, Clank, Clink, Clang
Ringout - Describes a high pitched sound with a long decay. Usually a metal/sword hit with a long tail.
Shing - A sharp metal scrape indicating movement, usually for a sword. Also look up: Unsheath, Ring Out, Sword Scrape
Tonal: Metal resonating, ringing, wronks and warps. Think of bending sheet metal, or a singing bowl ringing.
Wronk - The sound of ripping/scraping metal. Also look up: Metal Creak, Metal Scrape, Stretch, Stress, Expand
MOVEMENTS
Pat - The sound of a hand coming into contact with a surface, such as cloth, skin, wood, etc. Also look up: Grab, Touch, Clasp, Skin Touch.
Rustle - A soft, muffled crackling sound like that made by the movement of dry leaves, paper, cloth, or similar material. Also look up: Swish, Whisper, Mvmt
Scuff - To walk without lifting one's foot. Dragging one's foot across a surface of dirt, cement, grass, snow, etc. Also look up: Scuffle, Foot Drag.
Skid - An act of skidding or sliding. Also look up: Slide, Drag
Splash - A sound made by something striking or falling into liquid. Also look up: Spatter, Bespatter, Splatter, Bodyfall Water
Splat - A sound made by a wet object hitting a hard surface. Also look up: Squish
Splatter - Splash with a sticky or viscous liquid. Also look up: Splash, Squish, Splat, Spray, Spatter
Squeak - A short, high-pitched sound or cry. Also look up: Peep, Cheep, Pipe, Squeal, Tweet, Yelp, Whimper, Creak
Squish - A soft squelching sound. Also look up: Splat, Splatter
Thunk - The sound of a cork being pulled out of or placed into a bottle or jug. Also look up: Pop, Cork, Jug
Valoop - The sound of something squeezing out of a small space.
Wobble - A repetitive, quick pitching sound used for moments of shakiness. Also look up: Warble, Hypno, Flutter
Zip - Any fast movement, often with some sort of musical character. Also look up: Zing
TEXTURE
Crackle - A sound made up of a rapid succession of slight cracking sounds. Also look up: Sizzle, Fizz, Hiss, Crack, Snap, Fuse, Fuze, Burn, Fire
Creak - A harsh scraping or squeaking sound. Also look up: Squeak, Grate
Debris - A cacophonous sound, usually starting thick and eventually settling. Can be used in the aftermath of an event as big as an explosion or as small as kicking up dirt.
Dust - Earth or other matter in fine, dry particles. Also look up: Sand, Small Rock, Pebble, Sandy
Flap - A good term for erratic fast movement such as wind, such as a cape, parachute, or flag. Also look up: Shake, Cloth Move, Cloth Buffet.
Goo - The sound of a sticky and slimy substance. Also look up: Slime, Guts, Squish, Ooze
Gore - The general sound of blood, guts or violence. Also look up: Blood, Stab, Splatter, Flesh,
Guts - Squishy, slimy, movement or impacts that are typically wet and gross sounding. Also look up: Gore, Flesh, Blood Spill, Spit
Pat - The sound of a hand coming into contact with a surface, such as cloth, skin, wood, etc. Also look up: Grab, Touch, Clasp, Skin Touch.
Servo - Short for servomechanism, this is the sound you would typically associate with the moments of a robot or other motorized electronics. Also look up: Robot
Rumble - A continuous deep, resonant sound. Also look up: Boom, Sub, Earthquake
Splinter - The sound of small breaking or cracking wood. Also look up: Twist, Stress, Crack, Wood Break
TOON
Boing - The noise representing the sound of a compressed spring suddenly released. Also look up: Bounce, Bouncing, Bonk, Jaw Harp
Bork - A cartoonish sound that conveys disappointment.
Chatter - A repetitive sound that conveys shaking, commonly associated with cartoonish teeth movement. Also look up: shake, rattle
Jaw Harp - An instrument placed in one's mouth used to make twangy boings. Also look up: Jews Harp
Pluck - Cartoon string plucks.
Poink - A short, pointy sound. Also look up: Pluck, Doink
Poof - Used to convey the suddenness with which someone or something disappears. Also look up: Puff
Pop - A light explosive sound. Also look up: Bubble, Cork, Jug, Thunk
Trill - A musical ornamentation consisting of rapid alternation between two notes. Great for toony twinkling. Also look up: Tremolo, Tickle
Twang - A harsh quick ringing sound. Think of a plucked banjo string.
Ricco - This shorthand for Ricochet is the sound of a bullet bouncing. Can be used in cartoony moments when a character zips off screen very quickly.
VEHICLES
Accelerate - The sound of a vehicle begin to move more quickly.
By - This modifier should be added to searches for moving objects like Jet or Car, characterized by an increase and decrease in volume as the object passes by.
Decelerate - The sound of reducing in speed.
Doppler - A sound that changes pitch as it passes by. Think truck horn starting from a distance and dropping in pitch as it crosses your path.
Parking Lot Maneuver - Useful int/ext vehicle SFX for piecing together vehicle scenes where a car is doing different moves
Honk - Car Horn
Hydraulic - The very distinct sound of something propelled by liquid moving in a confined space. Think forklift or fancy door hinges. Also look up: Servo
Peel Out - Sound of a tire squeal as it accelerates away (vs. a “skid” or a “chirp” for a tire squeal on a brake) Also look up: Skid, Tire Chirp
Suspension -The sound of the system of springs and shock absorbers by which a vehicle is cushioned from road conditions.
Water
Bubbles - Single or continuous bubbles.
Drain - Water going down a drain. Think kitchen sink, sewer, shower. Also look up: Gurgle, Gurgling Water
Drip - Water dripping, slow to fast. Think of a cave drip, a leaking pipe, toilet.
Fizz - Air fizzing in water. Think of a carbonated drink.
Splash - A sound made by something striking or falling into liquid.
Spray - The sound of liquid that is blown or driven through the air in the form of tiny drops.
Steam - Very wet hissing. Think of radiators and saunas.
Surf - The general roar of the ocean. Also look up: Wave
Turbulent - Very big splashy water. Think of whirlpools, or big rapids on a river.
WHOOSH
Multi Whoosh - Very fast repetitive whooshes or swishes. Great for spinning. Also look up: Multi Swish, Twirl
Swish - A light sound of an object moving through the air.
Swoosh - The sound produced by a sudden rush of air.
Whoosh - A heavy sound of an object moving through the air.
Whip Crack - The loud and sudden sound of a whip moving faster than the speed of sound, creating a small sonic boom. Also look up: Bullwhip, Whip
do you need help searching for a sound effect? let us know in the comments below!
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GLOSSARY OF SOUND EFFECTS