AEE: Ding! Buzz! Beep! Which Word Should You Use When You Hear a Sound?

This is an All Ears English podcast. Ding, buzz, beep. Which word should you use when you hear a sound? Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times.

Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection. with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA. To get real-time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android.

Start your seven-day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward slash app. What can you say when your phone goes off or when someone calls or when someone rings your doorbell? There are so many moments in life when we need these words.

Listen in to get them today. Hello there, Michelle. How's everything today? How are you feeling today? Feeling good. How are you? I'm pretty good. I'm pretty good.

Michelle, I got a question for you. Ready? So are you good about putting your phone on silent when you actually need to? Like is your phone on silent right now?

That's a good question. I should check that. Yeah. Or does it ding or ring a lot maybe when you're recording a podcast or when you're in public or in awkward places where it's really rude to phone ring?

Yeah. I mean, it definitely has, you know, I've had an alarm go off when we're recording or something like that. So it can happen. I try to be pretty careful about it.

Actually, I think I have more the opposite issue. I think it's, I mostly have it on silent and then I can't find it. I know that that happens to me all the time. Yeah.

And then you're calling and then you're like, well, it's on silent. Yeah. Yeah. So when my, as a funny story, my partner and I first started dating back in 2016, my phone, I didn't know it, but my phone was on silent for like two years.

Yeah. Oh my gosh. And so I would always have these missed calls. I would have like three missed calls from my partner. And I was like, this person's kind of a stalker.

You know, why are they calling three times? Like one's enough, one missed calls enough. And I didn't realize until later that it was actually on silent for a long time. So funny.

Yeah. So yeah, sometimes you can go too far with being on silence. Hilarious. But I feel that Dan is always having things go off and I'm like, turn it off.

That is really annoying. He's got lots of dings and rings and dings and rings. Who knows what else, right? Yep. So today we're going to go over words that deal with everyday sounds.

So actually a long time ago, I think we did an episode on onomatopoeias and But that was over a thousand episodes ago. And today we're focusing on these words because of a recent episode we did on the word ding, dealing mostly with cars.

Yeah, right. You got a ding in your car, more of a dent type of thing. But these sounds, like what do they sound like? I know the sound of a dog barking is articulated differently in French versus Japanese versus English.

We know this. We learn this when we learn different languages. We talk about these fun little aspects of the language. So it's kind of similar. We assume the same thing is true about a car horn or a phone voicemail.

So we're going to get into it today. Yeah, exactly. So this is going to be fun. So guys, hit the follow button wherever you're listening to the All Ears English podcast so that you never miss an episode.

We are here five days a week. Let us drop right into your queue so you don't have to go searching around for us. Exactly. So let's start with the most common thing we hear.

which I feel like now my phone's going to ding while we're recording. I'm going to feel very self-conscious about it. My WhatsApp or something is going to ding for sure. What is it?

What is the word, Michelle? It is ding. Ding. Ding. Yeah. So I would say this is the sound is the sound an iPhone's text message makes, like specifically iPhone.

I feel like it's a ding, right? Right, right. It's a cute little ding. I think WhatsApp makes that sound... um but yeah like i i feel like you could well there are standard baked in like automatic default settings for iphone which i think is usually a ding right yeah um or you might hear someone say ding ding ding like saying someone is right right um possibly sarcastically oh ding ding like ding ding ding you got it right being sarcastic

No, I even said this last night. I had a theory. We have a contractor working in our house and I had a theory about the contractor or something. And then I said the theory and then I said to myself, ding, ding, that's it, right?

That's the missing piece that we haven't understood about this person, right? Right. It's like you figured it out. Yeah. Yeah. yeah so we can you might also hear it like on a game show or now that i'm now that i'm talking about it i i think also maybe like the sound of like um like a oven like a i think of like an easy big oven right like ding you know oh yeah yeah sure opening it's ready whatever you've baked is ready right yeah yes

Yeah. Love it. So you say something like ding, ding, ding. That's the correct answer. Right. Or I just heard a ding. Was that your phone? Right. So the difference here, here you're using the word as the thing.

Whereas in the first example, you're actually making the sound ding, ding, ding. Right. That's the correct answer. Right. Interesting. And you have to do a ding, ding, ding.

Like you can't, you can't just be like ding, ding, ding. That's what, no, you have to, you have to sing it. You really do kind of have to elevate your voice a little bit. Right.

Right. Or with a little bit of a snark. Ding, ding, ding. You're right. It is time for you to walk the dog. Yeah. And we can bake in sarcasm here, right?

There's a little sarcasm here, a little like, hey, I've been walking the dog every night. It's your turn. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, oh, don't you think you should be doing something right now?

Oh, I don't know. Oh, oh, the dog hasn't gone out. Ding, ding, ding. Exactly. Exactly. You're maybe you're overwhelmed with all the work you're doing and your partner's just there watching TV, you know.

Yep. Yep. Yep. So that has some smart snark to it. Yeah. Yeah. Well, then there's beep. Yep. Yep. So when would you hear this? Oh, you always hear this.

Leave a message after the beep. Right. You've reached Lindsay's voicemail. Leave a message after the beep. beep right yeah usually a beep um right or right or maybe yeah this is a big one smoke alarms running out of battery which always happens at three in the morning yes exactly and then you have to find it and then you have to get up on a ladder um

So, yeah, that in my hair. Or, like, lots of electronics. I mean, the microwave beeps, you know, when you're pressing the buttons. Your fridge beeps if you leave it open too long.

Oh, yes. Yeah, I always say that. I leave the fridge open constantly. Yeah. Or your TV might beep, right? Some sort of electronics. But then there's also the car horn, right?

Beep, beep. Yeah. Yeah. It's always like the pitch of the horn is always commensurate with the size of the car, I feel like. If you're driving a little mini, it's always like beep, beep.

And then the trucks obviously don't have a horn like that, right? Right, right, right. Or also not just honking the horn, but maybe you hear if you're describing something backing up like a big truck, you can tell that they have that beep sound come on. Beep, beep, beep.

Yes. Or we might articulate, beep, beep. Right. We might say that if we're trying to move through a group, either driving through or... It's funny. This is a funny episode.

Yeah, I just think around today. But it is funny. Also, I mean, you made a good... point, Lindsay, because sometimes you just say it like, oh, leave a message after the beep.

And sometimes you actually do the sound. Yeah, you do the sound. Exactly. Right. So some examples here were not available right now, but please leave a message after the beep.

Okay. Yeah. So that's a very common script for voicemail. Or I couldn't sleep because the smoke alarm was beeping all night, even when I replaced the batteries.

So that makes me think there's a friend's episode where they're looking for the beep. Probably. Yeah. Sounds like a friend's scenario. Yeah. Or you'll know the microwave is done when you hear it beep, right?

The popcorn is ready. yes yes um and then there's buzz um yeah so this is more of like a vibration sound i mean when you think about how it sounds like buzz it's a vibration um so it could be like from a phone right if you leave your phone on vibrate maybe not silent maybe vibrate um or like an electric razor um right anything else you can think of i mean that's why they call it like a buzz cut right because when you get when guys get a buzz cut they

i'm guessing that's why i'm guessing yeah i never thought about that yep yeah yeah that's interesting um anything else that buzzes hmm i mean sometimes certain doorbells can buzz right like when you especially i don't know maybe like mansions or something i'm imagining a fancy home might have a buzz doorbell or an apartment they might have a ding dong Or if you live in New York in a walk-up building, you have to buzz someone in. Yes, to buzz someone in. That's a great one.

Yes. And then also a device, right? Like at the buzzer. So maybe at the end of a game, somebody makes a shot. Right at the end at the buzzer or in a game show.

Right. So time's up. Right. Yeah, exactly. So here's an example. My phone was buzzing, so I had to leave it outside. Yes. Or he made a goal right at the buzzer, meaning right at the last minute of the game.

Right. So it was a valid goal. OK, exactly. All right, Michelle, there's a few more here that we want to share with our listeners. What is click? So a click.

Yeah, this is more like a tapping sound. So like it could be like a short sound, something like a button you're pressing or a door you're locking, right? So...

or it could be the sound you hear. Not so much anymore, but it used to be the sound you hear if somebody hangs up on you, you know, pressing the actual, you know, the little button. Yeah, because you can't hear that anymore. Now it's just blank, right?

If someone hangs up on you, but it used to be, yeah, it would just be the click until you hear the click. I heard this weird clicking sound. Turns out my son kept locking and unlocking the door. Right.

Or, uh-oh, I heard a click. She definitely hung up on me. Lindsay, have you ever thought someone hung up on you, but they just lost the connection? Yeah, sure.

All the time. And we've done episodes on this too before. What to say when the connection's going out, you're going into a tunnel or something. Right.

Yeah. The click. Yeah. I feel like this is just about the function of something. So this can really depend on what you're talking about. If there's some kind of an item that has to latch, usually you would talk about a click because you would hear that.

Right. Right. Right. Or then there's alarm. So that's loud, right? Like the warning of something. So smoke alarm or security alarm. Right. Um, very loud.

Um, or I mean, or your alarm clock, of course. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Do you use your phone as your alarm clock or do you have a special alarm clock, Michelle?

I use my phone. I know you have an alarm clock because you're putting your phone away. How has that been working out? Well, these days we've been moving around because of our renovation projects.

So I have been, we've been in different condos and Airbnbs, all sorts of things. Life is chaotic right now, Michelle. It's crazy. Yeah. So I am now using my phone, but when I get back into my home soon, I will go back to that nice Zen alarm clock.

It's great. Yeah. So have you, so, but has it made you look at your phone a lot again before bed? No, I would actually say as long as I have a book that I can read that I'm interested in, I'm pretty good at still like letting the phone sit next to the bed and leaving it.

Right. It's not, I don't feel that same pull that I used to feel quite as much. That's really incredible. Yeah. Small wins, small wins, Michelle. Small wins.

And then we're going to do one more and that's the ring, right? So more just like what you say, oh, my phone is ringing or a bell ringing. Yeah. I mean, sometimes you might hear like church bells.

I grew up in New England, a place where every little town has a town square and has a church at the head of the square. It's very cute scenery. You'd see in a postcard, right?

And sometimes the church bells will ring, right? At certain times. Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep, exactly. So you might hear your phone is ringing. I hear it in another room.

Yeah. Or did someone ring the doorbell? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So we got a lot of sounds. Rings, clicks, dings. We got a nice role play here. So let's go through it, Michelle.

You are telling me why you're so tired today. So tell me. All right. So I was almost asleep and then I heard this beeping sound. So I figured it was a smoke alarm.

Oh, that's the worst. I hate when that alarm goes off. Yeah, but then it stopped out of nowhere. So I was relieved. So I went to sleep and then I woke up to my phone dinging at 3am.

So my friend was texting me who lives in California. So she thought I was still awake. Oh no, you have to put it on silent. I should. So then it started to ring and I picked it up and it was just a butt dial from the same friend.

Oh, not the butt dial. That's the worst. yeah oh gosh if you don't want to put your phone on silent you could put it on vibrate so it just buzzes yeah true that would be less disruptive but so then i heard a clicking sound from the other room that's creepy what was it of course it was charlie just standing outside my door tapping on it waiting for me to let him come into my room oh i guess he wanted an early walk

Ding, ding, ding. You need a nap. Oh, yeah. Dogs will do that. Some dogs are really smart. They know how to open doors. They know exactly what to nudge to make a sound.

Right? Yeah. Does Keith forever wake you up for an earlier walk? He like he will stand right by the bed and he's a border collie. So he's used to moving things with his eyes, making things happen with his eyes.

That's what border collies do. Right. When they're like originally, that's what they did is move sheep. And so he will stand there and just stare at me.

But it's always right at the time that the alarm goes off. If it doesn't go off, he'll get up at that time. He knows what time we get up. Yeah, he's so smart.

But yeah, he'll just stare. He's got this stare, you know. Oh, yeah. You said he gives you the side eye too, right? The side eye. Yeah. Those dogs are incredible.

Anyways, I could go on and on, but I won't. Let's go through the role play here, Michelle. All right. So I said I was almost asleep and then I heard this beeping sound.

Yep. And then I said, oh, that's the worst. I hate when that alarm goes off. And then I said, I went to sleep and then woke up to my phone dinging at 3 a.m.

So I didn't say ringing, right? So that sounds more like a text message, right? I wouldn't say dinging if it was somebody calling, right? That's a really important distinction, actually.

I mean, that's a really big key with today's episode. Ring is a call. Ding is a noise. Yes. Kind of a buzz or a kind of a beep. Oh my gosh. And then he said, I should.

So then it started to ring and I picked it up and it was just a butt dial. So now someone did call you, right? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yes. So then you made a suggestion.

You said if you don't want to put your phone on silent, you could put it on vibrate. So it just buzzes. Buzzes. Right. So a more, maybe a different pitch of a sound.

Less disruptive. Yeah. And then you said, yeah, true. That would be less disruptive. Then I heard a clicking sound from the other room. So this sounds like a door, right?

Trying to latch or opening or something. Right, right, exactly. And then so it turns out it was Charlie, my dog, standing outside of my door tapping on a tap is another one we could have done, but we'll save that for another day. We've done a lot.

And you said, oh, I guess he wanted an early walk. And I said, ding, ding, ding, which is the one we're saying, you're right. Yeah, you're indicating a little sarcasm, a little exhaustion here, right? Yes.

Not towards you, towards the dog, I think. Towards the dog, yeah. Towards all your responsibilities at home, maybe. Yes, exactly. So it was a very noisy night.

Noisy night. All right. Chaotic evening. Guys, go on over to 2606, scratch, sting, or dent, how to talk about car damage in English. This was the inspiration for today's episode, but it's a very different episode.

We're talking about car damage. So if you're driving a car in an English-speaking country or just want to know about this, cars are a big part of American culture. I can tell you that for sure. Right?

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So yeah, takeaway for today. I mean, this is just like a fun, silly episode, but it's actually very useful because there are a lot of nuances between these words.

Right, Lindsay? Yeah. And we had a lot of fun recording it. So that's a plus too. Yeah. Hopefully our listeners had fun listening. Guys, this would be, I mean, you know, this is not super sophisticated grammar today, but this is part of fluency.

Right. So as you're getting to the B2C1 level, think about mastering this because you can say a lot here. Right. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So knowing that I mean, it sounds so silly, but it's people are constantly talking about all these noises, the ding, the buzz, the beep.

Right. And if you don't know what to say, what do you say? Right. If you don't know what that word is in English, what do you even say? Right? Right. Yeah.

So this is perfect. Yeah. All right. All right. All right, Lindsay. Well, I don't, I'm trying to think of a creative way to end it, but I, all right. Wait for the buzzer.

All right, guys. Thanks for listening. Bye, Lindsay. Take care. Bye. Bye. Thanks for listening to All Ears English. Would you like to know your English level?

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