SOUND

You know a Christmas song when you hear one.

Why Christmas Music Sounds So Distinct

Sleigh bells certainly help make Christmas music sound so Christmassy. But it’s a little more complicated than just that.

The Wilhelm Scream has appeared in hundreds of movies.

Listen to the Original Recording Session That Gave Us the ‘Wilhelm Scream’

A man pretending to be eaten by an alligator made movie history.

Even this cricket wants to know the answer.

Why Do We Say “Crickets” When It’s Silent?

Cricket chirps can reach 100 decibels. So why do we use them as a byword for ‘silence’?

Everything about a rotary phone would probably be very confusing to kids today.

13 Sounds Today’s Kids Have Probably Never Heard

From the whirr of a film projector to the click-clack of a mechanical typewriter, these sounds will likely leave the youth of today scratching their heads.

Why ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ Became the Soundtrack of American Graduations

“Pomp and Circumstance,” also popularly known as “The Graduation March,” is typically used during graduation processionals. Here’s why.

Why Do Some Songs Fade Out at the End?

Taylor Swift is just the latest in a long line of musicians who like to employ a “fade-out,” where the song gets gradually quieter in the closing seconds.

Why Do Some People Sneeze So Darn Loudly?

Personality and anatomy play a role in determining sneeze volume.

Why Do Some Birds Sing, While Others Caw?

Birds are a noisy bunch, and there's a lot of variation when it comes to avian vocalizations.

A beautiful barn owl sneaks up on its prey.

How Do Owls Fly So Silently?

Owl feathers’ special structures help the wise birds sneak up on their meals.

The Korean ideophone 쿨쿨 (pronounced “kul-kul”) indicates the deep breathing of a restful slumber.

15 Effortlessly Evocative Korean Ideophones

English speakers may be familiar with onomatopoeias, but they’re only a very small subset of ideophones, a broader word class can also convey other sensory experiences unrelated to sound. These Korean ideophones are sure to make your language sparkle.

Have Oscar Nominees Ever Competed Against Themselves? Yes—Surprisingly Often

Someone gets nominated twice in the same Oscar category nearly every year, surprisingly.

Why Do Birds Sing at Dawn?

Uncover the secrets of the dawn chorus and why birds choose to sing in the early hours.

She's probably spent the last 20 minutes listening to the same fuzzy song on a loop.

Why Hold Music Is So Annoying

There are some psychological reasons why being put on hold is such a frustrating experience.

An Edison phonograph exhibit with a talking doll in Paris, 1889.

Listen to Thomas Edison’s Eerie Talking Dolls Speak After More Than a Century of Silence

Modern technology has helped these dolls find their voices—and when they speak, it’s downright creepy.

This Website Lets You Create Your Own Ambient Noise Blend

Ambiphone is the DIY white noise machine you didn't know you needed.

Now’s a good time—so good, so good, so good—to dig into the rich history of “Sweet Caroline.”

Unraveling the Many Mysteries of Neil Diamond’s ’Sweet Caroline’

Now’s a good time—so good, so good, so good—to dig into the rich history of Neil Diamond's iconic tune.

Why Do Dogs Howl at Sirens?

Don't worry: It's not because sirens hurt dogs’ sensitive ears.

‘Do, Re, Mi’ can help people learn to play the piano.

Why Are the First Notes of a Tonal Scale Called ‘Do, Re, Mi’?

Solmization, or the practice of assigning syllables to the different “steps” of the scale, originated in ancient India.

T-Glottalization: The Reason Some People Drop Their ‘T’s When Speaking

Dropping that ‘t’ sound is an example of what linguists call glottalization, or replacing a sound with a pause in the vocal cords.

People often mistake a red fox’s bark for the sound of a person screaming.

11 Animals that Make Terrifying Sounds

Red foxes, barn owls, and American alligators are just a few beasts that make scary sounds.

The Real Story Behind the Iconic ’Friday the 13th’ Whisper Sound Effect

Whether you think it's saying "chi chi chi, ha ha ha" or "ki ki ki, ma ma ma," you know the one we're talking about.

Still from 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (1951) beside illustration of a theremin.

Audio Invasion: How the Theremin Went From Soviet Labs to Hollywood

The theremin—a spooky instrument that scored the biggest sci-fi films of the 1950s—was invented by accident.

‘Sound Effects No. 13 – Death & Horror’ is downright spooky.

Death & Horror: How BBC’s Controversial Sound Effects Album Became a Surprise Hit

The campaign to ban “Sound Effects No. 13 – Death & Horror” didn’t stop it from becoming the first sound effects album to break the UK Top 100 charts in the 1970s.

Why Do Cats Respond to “Pspsps”?

Cats and “Pspsps” go together like toddlers and the crinkling wrapper of a candy bar that you were trying to eat in secret. What gives?