sounds1 for engineers

EFL Tech - France a Site for Teachers of English ( as a Foreign Language) for Engineering

English Noises and Sounds for Engineers

The following section will teach you the names of some of the most common sounds and noises described by English speakers.

It is typical for English speakers to describe sounds by inventing a word which mimics the sound being described. For example, the English word splash is very similar (to English ears) in sound to the noise made by something falling into water. As the object hits the water we hear the sound of the impact spla..., then ,as the water falls back on itself we hear a ..... sh sound. This way of naming sounds is onomatopoeia. Most sounds in English are onomatopoeic.

Unfortunately speakers of other languages often have a very different consensus about how a sounds "sounds" in their language. So splash in English becomes plaf in French and pluf in Spanish. A good way to test how different sounds may be interpreted in English compared to your own language is to look at the examples below.

	English speakers imitate the sound that a cat makes as follows: "meeow" What is the sound in your language?
	For English speakers the lion makes a sound called a "roar". What sound does it make in your language?
	English "woof woof" Your language:
	English "quack quack" Your language:

It is important for engineers to identify and understand the significance of the names of mechanical sounds in English because they are often used to describe the symptoms of faults and problems with machines. It an engine isn't working correctly it will often make a characteristic noise ".........a popping sound", for example. You must be familiar with sounds in English to help you with diagnosis and fault finding. The following pages contain many of the sounds that you will need to know.

The sound are accompanied by pictures which will help you to link the English noise with a similar noise in your own language.

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