Words used to describe someone’s voice

Adenoidal  If someone’s voice is adenoidal, some of the sound seems to come through their
nose
Appealing  An appealing look, voice etc shows that you want help, approval, or agreement
A voice like a foghorn  A very loud voice
Breathy  A voice with loud breathing noises

Brittle  If you speak in a brittle voice, you sound as if you are about to cry
Croaky  If someone’s voice sounds croaky, they speak in a low rough voice that sounds as if
they have a sore throat
Dead  If someone’s eyes are dead, or if their voice is dead, they feel or show no emotion

Disembodied  A disembodied voice comes from someone who you cannot see
Flat  Spoken in a voice that does not go up and down. This word is often used for describing
the speech of people from a particular region.
Fruity  A fruity voice or laugh is deep and strong in a pleasant way

Grating  A grating voice, laugh, or sound is unpleasant and annoying

Gravelly  A gravelly voice sounds low and rough

Gruff  A gruff voice has a rough low sound

Guttural  A guttural sound is deep and made at the back of your throat
High-pitched  A high-pitched voice or sound is very high
Hoarse  Someone who is hoarse or has a hoarse voice speaks in a low rough voice, usually
because their throat is sore
Honeyed  Honeyed words or a honeyed voice sound very nice but you cannot trust the person
who is speaking
Husky  A husky voice is deep and sounds hoarse (=as if you have a sore throat), often in an
attractive way
In an undertone  Using a quiet voice so that someone cannot hear you
Low A low voice or sound is quiet and difficult to hear, used for describing a deep voice or a
sound that has a long wavelength, in a deep voice, or with a deep sound
Matter-of-fact  Used about someone’s behaviour or voice

Modulated  A modulated voice is controlled and pleasant to listen to

Monotonous  A monotonous sound or voice is boring and unpleasant because it does not
change in loudness or become higher or lower
Nasal  Someone with a nasal voice sounds as if they are speaking through their nose

Orotund  (very formal) An orotund voice is loud and clear

Penetrating  A penetrating voice or sound is so high or loud that it makes you slightly
uncomfortable
Plummy  A plummy voice or way of speaking is considered to be typical of an English person
of a high social class. This word shows that you dislike people who speak like this.
Quietly  In a quiet voice
Raucous  A raucous voice or noise is loud and sounds rough

Ringing  A ringing sound or voice is very loud and clear

Rough  A rough voice is not soft and is unpleasant to listen to

Shrill  A shrill noise or voice is very loud, high, and unpleasant

Silvery  A silvery voice or sound is clear, light, and pleasant

Singsong  If you speak in a singsong voice, your voice rises and falls in a musical way
Small  a small voice or sound that is quiet

Smoky A smoky voice or smoky eyes are sexually attractive in a slightly mysterious way
Softly spoken  Someone who is softly spoken has a quiet gentle voice

Soft-spoken  Speaking or said in a quiet gentle voice

Someone’s dulcet tones  The sound of someone’s voice as they speak

Sotto voce  In a very quiet voice

Stentorian  A stentorian voice sounds very loud and severe

Strangled  A strangled sound is one that someone stops before they finish making it
Strangulated  Strangled

Strident  A strident voice or sound is loud and unpleasant

Taut  Used about something such as a voice or expression that shows someone is nervous or
angry
Thick  If your voice is thick with an emotion, it sounds less clear than usual because of the
emotion
Thickly  With a low voice that comes mostly from your throat
Thin  A thin voice or sound is high and unpleasant to listen to

Throaty  A throaty sound is low and seems to come from deep in your throat
Tight  A tight voice or expression shows that you are nervous or annoyed

Toneless  A toneless voice does not express any emotion

Tremulous  If something such as your voice or smile is tremulous, it is not steady, for example
because you are afraid or excited
Wheezy  A wheezy noise sounds as if it is made by someone who has difficulty breathing
Wobbly  If your voice is wobbly, it goes up and down, usually because you are frightened, not
confident, or are going to cry
 Words used to describe music or musical instruments

Acoustic  An acoustic musical instrument does not use electronic equipment to make its
sound louder
Atonal  Atonal music is not written or played in any one key (=a set of notes)
Bass  Written for a bass voice or instrument
Bluesy  Bluesy music has the slow sad sound of blues, which developed from the songs of
black slaves in the southern US
Discordant  Discordant music sounds strange because it contains discords
Flat  Playing musical notes that are slightly lower than they should be

Funky  Funky music has a strong simple beat that is good for dancing

Harmonic  Relating to the way that musical notes are combined to create chords
Harmonious  Harmonious music consists of notes that combine in a pleasant way

Jazzy  (informal) Lazy music has a strong lively beat, like jazz
Leftfield  Used for describing styles of modern electronica (=music produced using electronic
instruments) that are unusual and not very popular
Lo-fi  Used for describing electronic music that is produced in a small private recording studio
without spending much money
Melodic  Relating to the melody (=main tune) of a piece of music

Modal  Relating to a musical mode

Off-key  Music or singing that is off-key does not sound good because the notes are slightly
wrong
Orchestral  Connected with, written for, or played by an orchestra

Philharmonic  A philharmonic orchestra performs classical music

Playable  A piece of music that is playable can be played without much difficulty
Progressive  Used for describing music that tries new or unusual ideas, sometimes making it
difficult to listen to
Session  A session musician is paid to play with a band or singer making a record in a studio

Sharp  Slightly higher than the musical note that should be played or sung
Tonal  Relating to music written in a particular key

Up-tempo  music that has a fast beat

 Types of music

Acid house  A style of house music that developed in the US in the middle of the 1980s and
became very popular in the UK in the late 1980s when it was played at rave parties
Acid jazz  A type of music that mixes various styles such as funk, disco, and latin, and
combines electronic production with acoustic instruments and sometimes singing
Ambient  A type of music that developed as a reaction against disco and dance music and that
uses relaxing electronic sounds, usually without strong beats or voices
Background music  Quiet music that plays in a public place, the music used in a film to
create a particular mood
Backing  Music that is played or sung to add to the main singer’s voice
Backup  Music that is played or sung to add to the main singer’s voice
Bebop  A type of jazz music that developed in the US during the 1940s among musicians who
emphasized the complicated structure of the music, rather than the tune
Bhangra  A type of dance music that combines traditional music from the Punjab region of
India and Pakistan with Western styles such as reggae and jungle
Bluegrass  A type of music from the southern US that is played on musical instruments such
as violins and banjos
Blues  A type of slow and sad music that developed from the songs of black slaves in the
southern US
Boogie  A type of disco music that was popular in the late 1970s
Boogie-woogie  An early style of jazz played on the piano, with a strong fast beat
C&W  Country and western music - a type of popular music based on the traditional music of
the southern US, usually containing singing, guitars, and violins
Canon  A type of music in which different instruments or voices start the same series of notes,
one after another
Chamber music  A type of classical music played by a small group of musicians
Chillout  Ambient music
Classical music  Music written according to standard European forms or structures by people
such as Mozart and Beethoven
Dance music  A type of music with a strong beat for dancing to in clubs, often involving a lot of
electronic production
Disco  A type of music with a strong beat that is easy to dance to, popular especially in the
1970s
Dixieland  A type of jazz with a strong beat, originally developed in New Orleans in the early
1900s and usually involving a large group of musicians who improvise together. Many people
prefer not to use this term because of its associations with the tradition of blackface musical
performance, and use another term such as New Orleans jazz instead.
Doo-wop  A type of rock and roll consisting of small groups of singers singing in harmony and
often without musical instruments
Downtempo  Any type of electronic music that is for listening to instead of dancing to

Drum ’n’ bass  jungle music, especially a style influenced by jazz or ambient
Dub  An electronic type of music based on reggae music

Dubstep  A kind of electronic dance music with a strong beat and a lot of bass
Easy listening  Relaxing music without complicated tunes or a strong beat
EDM  Electronic dance music: electronic music for dancing in clubs etc, played by DJs who
combine different tracks in a mix
Electro  A type of African-American electronic music that developed in the 1980s and often
includes rap
Electronica  Music that is produced using electronic instruments
Emo  A type of punk music with words which are often personal and emotional, relating to a
type of punk music with words which are often personal and emotional or the people who like this
music
Folk music  Traditional music from a particular country, region, or community, especially music
developed by people who were not professional musicians,
Funk  A type of music that developed in the late 1960s from soul and early rock and roll,
containing lively drum beats, repeated electric bass lines, and often singing
Fusion  A type of modern music that is a mixture of different styles
Gangsta  A type of black US rap music that talks about life in the city, especially about guns,
violence, and sex
Garage  A type of US dance music that developed from house music in the 1980s and is
influenced by disco music, it was developed in the 1960s and is influenced by British rock and
roll. It was mainly played by people who were not professional musicians.
Goema  A lively style of music that started in the Malay communities of Cape Town in South
Africa
Gospel  A type of Christian music influenced by soul and R and B that developed in the
churches that black people went to in the south of the US in the past. It is sung by groups of
singers who have powerful voices
Goth  A type of modern popular music that is loud and has a strong beat
Grunge  A type of rock music played on electric guitars that developed in the late 1980s and
was influenced by punk and heavy metal
Hardcore  A type of British dance music with a very fast beat that developed as part of rave
culture in the early 1990s, electronic music that is loud and fast and sounds aggressive
Hard rock  A type of rock music that is loud and has a strong beat
Heavy metal  A type of loud rock music that developed in the 1970s, played on drums and
electric guitars
Highlife  A type of dance music that developed in West Africa from jazz
Hip hop  A type of music that developed among African-American musicians using rap and
samples (=short pieces of recorded music or sound) that are repeated and combined with
musical instruments
Honky-tonk  A simple style of country music that developed in the 1950s, using guitars,
violins, and singing
House  A type of modern electronic music that developed in the 1980s, replacing disco as the
most popular form of dance music. It combines deep bass sounds with parts that are sung or
played on a synthesizer.
Impressionism  A style of music that uses sound to produce feelings and moods, rather than
concentrating on the structure of the music. Impressionism developed in France at the end of the
19th century.
Incidental music  Music that is played in the background of a film, play, or television
programme and helps to create a particular feeling or mood
Indie  A type of rock music that developed in the 1990s, usually influenced by punk and
produced by small independent record companies, Music that is produced by small independent
record companies
Jazz  A type of music that developed in the late 19th century in which there is a strong lively
beat and the players often improvise (=make up the music as they play)
Jazz fusion  A type of music that developed in the 1970s, combining jazz styles with rock
music and using electronic instruments such as guitars and synthesizers
Jungle  A type of dance music that developed in the 1990s from hardcore and ragga and uses
fast complicated beats and deep electronic sounds
K-pop  Korean pop: a type of pop music originating in South Korea that combines many
musical styles with rich audio-visual elements
Kwaito  A type of popular music that started in the townships of South Africa in the 1990s, and
is based loosely on house music, with African rhythms and lyrics
Kwela  A type of popular music developed by black people in South Africa
Latin  A type of music from Latin America or influenced by music from Latin America,
especially dance music such as salsa
Mariachi  A type of traditional Mexican music played by a small group of musicians

Maskanda  A popular form of traditional Zulu music played on western instruments

Minimalism  A style of music that developed in the 1960s and uses simple repeated rhythms
and patterns of musical notes
Mood music  Music that is intended to help you feel a particular way, especially relaxed
MOR ABBREVIATION  Middle-of-the-road: used for describing music that is pleasant but not
very interesting or exciting
Motown  A type of African-American soul music from the US city of Detroit, popular in the
1960s and 1970s
Muzak  Quiet music played in shops, restaurants, and other public places
New age  A type of music that uses relaxing electronic sounds and sounds from nature to
encourage meditation
New wave  A type of music that developed in the early 1980s from punk, combining popular
styles with the use of electronic synthesizers
Piped music  Quiet music that is played continuously in public places such as shops and
restaurants. It is intended to create a pleasant atmosphere, but some people do not like it.
Pop music  a type of music, usually played on electronic instruments, that is popular with
many people because it consists of short songs with a strong beat and simple tunes that are
easy to remember. Pop music is often simply called pop, any music that is popular at a particular
time
Programme music  Music that describes a picture, a story, or an idea
Punk  A type of music that developed in the 1970s from rock and roll, consisting of simple
tunes played quickly and loudly on electronic instruments and words that often express anger
against society
Ragga  A type of popular music that developed in the 1980s from reggae and uses a singing
style similar to rap
Ragtime  A type of piano music that is influenced by jazz and was popular in the US in the
early 20th century
Rai  A type of popular North African folk music that has been mixed with various styles such as
rock, funk, and reggae since the 1960s
R & B  Rhythm and blues: A type of music that combines blues and soul styles with modern
beats and production methods
Rap  A way of talking using rhythm and rhyme, usually over a strong musical beat
Rave  the type of music played at raves, especially forms of techno and hardcore
Reggae  A type of music that developed in Jamaica in the 1960s with songs about social and
political subjects and heavy bass sounds
Rhythm and blues  A type of popular music that African American musician developed from
blues and jazz. Rhythm and blues are often called R and B.
Rockabilly  A type of music that is a mixture of early rock ’n’ roll and traditional country music
Rock music  A type of music that developed from rock ’n’ roll and uses a heavy regular beat,
electric guitars, singing, and a tune that is easy to remember
Rock ’n’ roll  A type of music that was popular in the 1950s and combined simple blues
structures played on guitars with strong regular beats
Ska  A type of music that developed in Jamaica in the 1950s, combining US styles of jazz,
rock, and R & B with traditional Jamaican mento
Skiffle  A type of music popular in the 1950s, often played with unusual instruments
Soul music  A type of African-American music that developed in the 1960s, combining R & B
with pop, rock ’n’ roll, and gospel styles. Soul music usually has a strong beat and places
emphasis on singing. It is often simply called soul.
Swing  A type of jazz dance music that was popular in the 1930s and 1940s, played by large
groups of musicians and combining simple tunes with more complicated improvisation
Syncopation  A type of musical rhythm in which the weak beats are emphasized instead of
the strong beats
Synthesis  The production of sounds using a piece of equipment called a synthesizer
Techno  A type of dance music that developed in the 1980s, consisting of hard repeated
beats, heavy drum sounds, and funk influences
Thrash  A type of music developed in the 1980s that combines punk and speed metal
Trad jazz  A type of jazz that was popular between the 1920s and the 1940s, or jazz
influenced by styles such as Dixieland
Trance  A type of dance music with fast regular beats and electronic sounds that developed
from techno in the early 1990s
Trip hop  A type of dance music influenced by hip hop in its speed and style of beats but using
more instruments
Two-step  A type of British dance music that combines garage beats and R & B singing
World music  In western Europe and North America, music from other cultures