Have you ever read a superhero comic? Comic books have all kinds of sound effects in them, such as “pow!”, “boom!”, and “bang!” English is a great language for sound effects, and knowing the sounds things make can be very helpful. If you like to read or write, knowing the sounds things make can enhance (make something better) your experience.

If you’re ready to round out (complete) your language learning, check out some of the sounds things make in English.

Crash

A crash, which is a huge clattering sound, is usually used when something large breaks, falls, or runs into something else. Many things can make a crashing sound, such as a lot of glasses breaking, pans falling, or even a car getting in an accident. A crash is usually not a good sound, so if you hear something crash, you should probably check it out and make sure that nothing is broken!

For example:

The pans made a huge crashing sound when the cat knocked them off the counter.
When she got in a car accident, there was a huge crash.

Click

A click, which is a much smaller noise than a crash, is made by several items. Turning on a light switch, flicking a lighter, or pushing a button on the TV remote (what’s used to change the TV channel) all make clicking sounds. A click sound is quick, sounds like plastic is being hit, and isn’t loud. Some people even call a TV remote control a clicker because of the sound it makes- or used to make! A click is one of the most common sounds things make in a house! What else can you think of that clicks?

For example:

The light switch clicked when I turned the light on, but the light bulb was broken, so the light didn’t come on.
The TV remote made a clicking sound as we changed the channel.

Jingle

The word jingle always makes me think of Christmas songs. All of the bells jingling in the songs makes me think of snow, lights, and holly (the red berries). A jingling sound, which is the sound of small bits of metal hitting each other, is made by bells, keys, and change (money, coins) in a wallet. What else do you know that jingles?

For example:

My pocket is full of change and keeps jingling.
Her keys jingled when she took them out of her purse.

Pop

The sound of popcorn in the microwave is the sound of popping. A couple of other things also make popping sounds, such as champagne corks or bubble gum. A popping sound can be a very fun sound, and can be an indicator (sign, symbol) of people having a good time…especially if it’s the popping of popcorn!

For example:

The baby laughed when the bubble went “pop!”
The sound of popcorn popping always reminds me of the movie theater.

Ding

Have you ever heard the sound a microwave makes when it’s finished heating up food, or gotten a notification on your phone? These things both make a dinging sound. A ding is a high-pitched (high, loud) sound that may sound like a small bell. Many different devices, such as computers, phones, microwaves, refrigerators, etc., make a dinging sound when they need to notify you about something. What do you own that dings?

For example: