noise
/ˈnoɪ̯z/noun, verb
noise is spelled N-O-I-S-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 35 times per million words in written English, the 2,725th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, noise means “Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of noise is noises.
How many letters and syllables are in noise?
| Letters | 5: N-O-I-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 35 times per million words; the 2,725th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is noise?
Noise appears 35 times per million words in written English, the 2,725th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce noise?
- /ˈnoɪ̯z/
- /ˈnɔɪ̯z/
Noise has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-noise.ogg, En-uk-noise.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with noise?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as noise.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: eosin, nosie.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of noise
- noises plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- noising participle, present
- noised participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does noise mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant.
He knew that it was trash day, when the garbage collectors made all the noise.
- 2
Any sound.
The sudden noise made everyone jump.
- 3
Sound or signal generated by random fluctuations.
- 4
Any part of a signal or data that reduces the clarity, precision, or quality of the desired output.
signal-to-noise ratio
- 5
Variation or deviation generated by random fluctuations.
- 6
Unwanted fuss or bustle; useless activity.
- 7
The measured level of variation in gene expression among cells, regardless of source, within a supposedly identical population.
- 8
Rumour or complaint.
The problems with the new computer system are causing a lot of noise at Head Office.
verb
- 1
To make a noise; to sound.
- 2
To spread news of; to spread as rumor or gossip.
an ugly story that was being noised about in newsrooms across the nation
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate noise?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of noise: NVH.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Noise in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bruit, vacarme, brouhaha, boucan, tintamarre , ébruiter |
| German | Lärm, Geräusch, Krach , Rauschen, Störung |
| Portuguese | barulho, ruído, estrépido |
| Spanish | ruido, estrépito, barullo , perturbación |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does noise come from?
From Middle English noyse, noise, from Old French noise (“a dispute, wrangle, strife, noise”), of uncertain origin. According to some, from Latin nausia, nausea (“disgust, nausea”); according to others, from Latin noxia (“hurt, harm, damage, injury”); but neither explanation is satisfactory in regard to either form or sense. Potentially a reduced form of Old French enoiier (“to bother, to disturb”), from Latin inodio (“to make repulsive”) - which would make it a doublet of English annoy (“to bother, to irritate”) and English ennui (“boredom, jadedness, depression”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).