sound
gb/sˈaʊnd/ us/sˈaʊnd/
A1
English
~ 1100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Audible vibrations in air
Something you can hear, made by vibrations moving through the air or water.
Usage pattern:
the sound of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sound' with 'voice'; 'voice' refers specifically to the sounds made by a person when speaking or singing.
Synonyms
noise (Often refers to unwanted or unpleasant sound, while 'sound' is neutral.)
Antonyms
silence (The complete absence of sound.)
Collocations
loud sound
|strange sound
|background sound
|sound waves
|sound quality
Themes
science
|daily life
|music
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The sound of rain helps me sleep.
- I heard a strange sound coming from the kitchen.
- The sound of the guitar filled the room.
- Traffic sounds kept her awake all night.
Learner examples
- I hear a sound outside.
- The dog makes a loud sound.
- Music is a kind of sound.
- The baby likes the sound of her mother's voice.
Verb
A2
action
2
Make a noise or signal
To make a noise, or to make something give a signal by noise.
Usage pattern:
sound [an alarm/a horn]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'sound' as a verb with 'play' for musical instruments; 'sound' focuses on producing noise, not performing music.
Synonyms
ring (Specifically refers to the noise made by bells or phones, while 'sound' is more general.)
Antonyms
silence (To stop or prevent a noise from happening.)
Collocations
sound the alarm
|sound the horn
|sound a warning
Themes
daily life
|safety
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- Please sound the alarm if you see smoke.
- The referee sounded the whistle to end the game.
- They sounded the horn to warn the pedestrians.
Learner examples
- The teacher sounds the bell at 9 a.m.
- He sounds the horn before driving away.
- We sound the alarm when there is danger.
Verb
A2
state
3
Seem in a way when heard
To seem in a certain way from what is said or heard.
Usage pattern:
sound [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'sound' with nouns incorrectly; it must be followed by an adjective in this sense ('You sound happy', not 'You sound happiness').
Synonyms
seem ('Seem' is more general; 'sound' refers specifically to impressions from hearing words or tones.)
Antonyms
appear ('Appear' relates more to visual impressions, not auditory ones.)
Collocations
sound good
|sound interesting
|sound angry
Themes
communication
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You sound tired—did you sleep well?
- That sounds like a great idea!
- He sounded angry on the phone.
Learner examples
- You sound happy today.
- That story sounds funny.
- She sounds sad now.
adjective
B1
property
4
In good condition; undamaged
Strong, safe, and without damage or mistakes.
Usage pattern:
a sound [structure/plan/idea]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with 'healthy'; while related, 'sound' here applies to things and ideas as well as people.
Synonyms
solid ('Solid' can mean physically hard or dependable; 'sound' focuses on reliability and lack of faults.)
Antonyms
weak (Not strong or reliable.)
Collocations
sound advice
|sound structure
|sound investment
Themes
construction
|business
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Examples
- The bridge is structurally sound.
- She gave me some sound advice.
- They made a sound investment in renewable energy.
Learner examples
- This house is sound and safe.
- He gave me sound help.
- Our plan is sound.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
5
Narrow stretch of waterway
A narrow area of sea between two pieces of land.
Synonyms
strait ('Strait' is more common internationally; 'sound' is used in specific geographic names.)
Collocations
Puget Sound
|Long Island Sound
Themes
geography
|nature
|travel
Examples
- They sailed through the sound to reach the open sea.
- Puget Sound is known for its beautiful scenery.
- The ship anchored in the calm waters of the sound.
Learner examples
- We sailed across the sound.
- The sound is between two islands.
- Fish live in the sound.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sound
IPA
GB/sˈaʊnd/
US/sˈaʊnd/
Syllables & stress
sound (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sound)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: sound
- Comparative: sounder
- Superlative: soundest
Noun
- Base: sound
- Plural: sound, sounds
Verb
- Base: sound
- 3rd Person Singular: sounds
- Present Participle: sounding
- Past: sounded
Word family
Forms
sounds
noun
sounding
verb
sounded
verb
sounder
adjective
soundest
adjective
Related words
soundtrack
noun B1
soundproof
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
soundless
adjective
Advanced or less common
soundlessly
adverb
Expressions
make a sound
1/mˈeɪk ə sˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Produce any noise at all
To make any kind of noise.
Examples
- She didn’t make a sound during the movie.
- The baby suddenly made a loud sound.
sound like
1/sˈaʊnd lˈaɪk/
fixed phrase
Give impression when heard
To seem in a certain way from what is heard or said.
Examples
- You sound like you're having fun.
- That sounds like a great plan!
sound off
1/sˈaʊnd ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
informal
Express opinion loudly/forcefully
To talk loudly about your opinions, often complaining.
Examples
- He was sounding off about the new rules again.
- She sounded off on social media about the poor service.
sound out
1/sˈaʊnd ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
Check someone's opinion indirectly
To ask someone carefully about something to learn what they think before you decide.
Examples
- We need to sound out the staff before changing the schedule.
- She sounded him out about joining the project.
safe and sound
1/sˈeɪf ˈænd sˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Unharmed after danger or risk
Not hurt or damaged after something dangerous happened.
Examples
- After the long journey, we arrived home safe and sound.
- The missing hikers were found safe and sound.
safe and sound
2/sˈeɪf ˈænd sˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
Unharmed after danger or trouble
Not hurt and okay after being in danger.
Examples
- They arrived home safe and sound after the storm.
- The missing child was found safe and sound.