Practice
Animal and bird sounds in English
You hear an animal. English often has a special verb for its sound.
Match common animals and birds with the English verbs and nouns for their sounds.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
neigh /neɪ/
The short answer
English uses different verbs for different animal sounds. A dog barks, a cat meows, a cow moos, and many small birds chirp.
We heard the owl hoot after dark.
Why it works: Hoot is the usual verb for the sound of an owl.
3 more examples
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The dog barked when the gate opened.
Bark is the usual verb for a dog's sound.
Not this:We heard
a barkwhen the gate opened. What changes: Here bark is a noun. The sentence names one sound. -
The horse neighed across the field.
Neigh is the usual verb for a horse's sound.
Not this:
A loud neighcame from the field. What changes: Here neigh is a noun after the article a. -
An owl hooted from the tree.
Hoot is the usual verb for an owl's call.
Not this:The children listened for
an owl's hoot. What changes: Hoot is a noun in this phrase.
Read the full guide
First, choose the animal. Then use its usual sound verb. Many of these words are also nouns: a dog barks, and you hear a bark.
Match common animal sounds
The problem: I know the animal, but I do not know its English sound word.
Start with common farm and home animals. Use the verb when the animal makes the sound. The noun often has the same form.
| Animal | Verb and noun | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| dog | bark / a bark | The dog barked when the bell rang. |
| cat | meow / a meow | The cat meowed beside the empty bowl. |
| cow | moo / a moo | The cows mooed before feeding time. |
| horse | neigh / a neigh | The horse neighed near the fence. |
| sheep | bleat / a bleat | One sheep bleated near the gate. |
| pig | oink / an oink | The pig oinked when it saw the bucket. |
Choose a bird sound
The problem: I use chirp for every bird, even when English has another common word.
Chirp is useful for many small birds. For some birds, English uses a more specific word. Learn the common pair when you need it.
| Bird | Verb and noun | Original example |
|---|---|---|
| small bird | chirp / a chirp | Small birds chirped outside the window. |
| duck | quack / a quack | The duck quacked near the pond. |
| owl | hoot / a hoot | An owl hooted after sunset. |
| rooster | crow / a crow | The rooster crowed before sunrise. |
| goose | honk / a honk | A goose honked by the lake. |
| pigeon | coo / a coo | Two pigeons cooed on the roof. |
Use a verb or noun
The problem: I know the sound word, but I do not know where to put it in a sentence.
After an animal, use the verb: The cat meowed. After hear or make, use a noun phrase: We heard a meow. The article shows that the word is a noun.
Use the sound word after the animal.
The duck quacked at the water.
Use a or an before one sound.
We heard a quack near the water.
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Not this:
The cat made meow.Say: The cat meowed.
Use the verb after the animal.
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Not this:
We heard bark.Say: We heard a bark.
Use a before one sound noun.
Use the usual pair
The problem: I translate the sound from my language and choose a word English does not usually use.
English speakers usually learn these as pairs: dog-bark, cat-meow, horse-neigh, and owl-hoot. The pair matters more than a direct translation from another language.
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The baby heard a goat bleat at the farm.
Why it works: Bleat is a common word for a sheep or goat sound.
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The guide pointed up when the geese began to honk.
Why it works: Honk is a common word for the sound of geese.
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At dawn, the rooster started to crow.
Why it works: Crow is the usual verb for a rooster's sound.
Before you go
Remember this
Learn each animal with its usual sound word. Say a dog barks, a cat meows, a cow moos, a horse neighs, and an owl hoots. Many of the same words can also be nouns.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Animal and bird sounds in English"
What are common animal sound words in English?
Common pairs include dog-bark, cat-meow, cow-moo, horse-neigh, sheep-bleat, and pig-oink. Learn the animal and the sound word together.
The dog barked when the gate opened.
Can bark be a verb and a noun?
Yes. Use bark as a verb in The dog barked. Use it as a noun in We heard a bark. Many animal-sound words work in both ways.
We heard a bark when the gate opened.
Do all birds chirp?
No. Chirp is a useful word for many small birds, but some birds have common specific words. Ducks quack, owls hoot, roosters crow, and geese honk.
The horse neighed across the field.
What does neigh mean?
Neigh is the usual English word for the sound a horse makes. It can be a verb, as in The horse neighed, or a noun, as in We heard a neigh.
A loud neigh came from the field.
Should I say an animal says a sound?
Usually, use the sound verb instead. Say The dog barked or The cat meowed. You can also use a noun phrase such as The dog made a barking sound.
An owl hooted from the tree.
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