If you have normal hearing, you probably tend to overlook many sounds in your everyday living environment. You probably don’t think about the hum of a computer, whir of the ceiling fan, or the bang of something being dropped. Little hearing-impaired children need to learn about these many sounds that are part of the everyday world. This list of common sounds will give you ideas about what to point out to your child as you help him develop his listening skills.
You can think up many more!
| Indoor sounds | Some softer sounds | Human noises |
|---|---|---|
| vacuum cleaner | clock's tick-tock | laughing |
| washing machine | dishes being put away | sneezing |
| dryer | paper being crumpled | coughing |
| garbage disposal | refrigerator | clearing throat |
| pencil sharpener | water running | blowing nose |
| doors closing, banging, | coffee percolating | yawning |
| doorbell | liquids being poured | crying |
| pots and pans | toast being scraped | snoring |
| timer | click of light switch | clapping |
| alarm clock | match being struck | whistling |
| clock's chimes or cuckoo | hum of fluorescent light | humming |
| object being dropped | radio playing in another room | hiccupping |
| something shattering | pages being turned | brushing teeth |
| furnace | trash compactor | washing hands |
| stove fan | coins or keys clinking in pocket or purse | taking a shower |
| chair being moved away from table | noise of traffic heard through closed window | burping |
| fire going in fireplace | wind blowing outside window | playing Ping-Pong |
| TV | sewing machine | zipping up a jacket |
| music | pot bubbling on stove | sipping through a straw |
| electric razor | liquid being shaken in container | kissing |
| electric mixer | drawer being closed | playing jacks |
| hair dryer | fly buzzing | jumping |
| smoke alarm | hum of a computer | people talking in another room |
| telephone | ceiling fan | running |
| knock at the door | air conditioner | chewing, (especially celery, peanuts, or potato chips) |
| microwave | squeak of the floor under someone's footsteps | |
| background music in store |
| Indoor Activities |
|---|
| Making salad: cutting, tearing ingredients; spoon hitting bowl when tossing |
| Washing dishes: water running; disposal; dropping utensils into sink or dishpan, dishwasher |
| Making popcorn: shaking popcorn in box; shaking popcorn; popping |
| Setting the table: placing eating utensils; pouring water or milk |
| Making cookies: cracking eggs, beating mixture, scraping bowl |
| Making instant pudding: opening outer and inner packages, beating mixture, scraping bowl |
| Making toast and jelly: toaster; cutting toast |
| Sweeping the floor: swish of broom; dropping broom |
| Wrapping a package: paper crinkling; scissors cutting |
| Putting away tools: hammer, saw, drill, file |
| Putting away toys |
| Musical instruments | Outdoor noises | Quiet outside noises |
|---|---|---|
| drum | thunder | footsteps on sidewalk |
| horn | fire engine | distant traffic |
| tambourine | foghorn | approaching car or bus |
| stringed instruments | airplane | car horn on next street |
| bells | truck | key turning in lock |
| toy piano | train's rumble | door being opened |
| xylophone | train's whistle | wind in trees |
| musical mobiles | bus stopping | constant rumble of city |
| (make your own, like putting blocks in a plastic bottle or beating a wooden spoon against a pan) |
car horn | distant train |
| car coming into driveway | dog barking down the street | |
| Noisemaking Toys | walking through dry leaves | children's voices in a backyard |
| blocks | leaves being raked | birds singing |
| whistles | branch rubbing house in breeze | mower running on next road or street |
| rattles | rainstorm | laundry flapping on line |
| squeaky toys | hail | lawn sprinkler going |
| clicking toys | wind howling | rain |
| chalk on chalkboard | baseball bat or tennis racket | |
| carpenter's bench | hitting ball | Working noises |
| motorboat | drilling | |
| surf | breaking wood | |
| bonfire | shoveling | |
| wind chimes, ceramic, metal, or plastic | trimming hedges or borders | |
| trash truck | sanding | |
| hammering | ||
| mowing lawn | ||
| chopping wood | ||
| sawing | ||
| walking on the roof |