Trivia Time

What are sounds above the human audible range called?

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audible

American  

[aw-duh-buhl] / ˈɔ də bəl /

adjective

1. loud enough to be heard; able to be heard.

   The pun brought an audible groan from his colleague.

   When I’m working in the basement, the sound of the traffic is barely audible.

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noun

• audibles
  plural

1. Also called automatic, checkoff.  Football. a play called aloud by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage to supersede the play originally agreed upon as a result of a change in strategy.

   The quarterback called an audible that sent the running back past the other offensive guard.

   Cheering by the fans made it hard for either team to hear any audibles.

idioms

1. call an audible, to make a last-minute change of plan in response to circumstances, new information, etc..

   Instead of the first song on their set list, the band called an audible and played one that was known to be especially popular on campus.

audible British  

/ ˈɔːdɪbəl /

adjective

1. perceptible to the hearing; loud enough to be heard

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noun

1. American football a change of playing tactics called by the quarterback when the offense is lined up at the line of scrimmage

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• audibility
  noun
• audibleness
  noun
• nonaudibility
  noun
• nonaudibleness
  noun
• subaudibility
  noun
• subaudibleness
  noun
• nonaudible
  adjective
• quasi-audible
  adjective
• subaudible
  adjective
• audibly
  adverb
• nonaudibly
  adverb
• quasi-audibly
  adverb
• subaudibly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• audibles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of audible

First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin audībilis, from Latin audī(re) “to hear” + -bilis -ble

Explanation

Something audible can be heard. Sometimes things that people don't want others to hear become audible, such as a growling stomach during a quiet moment at the movies. Coming from the Latin audīre, "to hear," audible is an adjective meaning "heard" or "hearable." A scream is audible, a barking dog next door is audible, and a siren is audible. Why do some writers use the expression "a barely audible whisper?" Isn’t that what a whisper is — something you can barely hear?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

audible audibles

The effect is less a fall than a settling—from yearning into tenderness, like an audible sigh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The only time Duterte had been seen since his arrest in March 2025 was an initial appearance via video, where he seemed confused and tired, his speech barely audible.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

There were gasps and audible shouts of joy when the team announced they were providing a free upgrade to the original.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

He was the last speaker of the three-hour event, and thunder had been audible outside for over an hour.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

It was long and curving, carved by a river—such a river as made the Eder look like a dribble, its catastrophic rush audible even from here.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

He also called the audibles on defense, was entrusted with increased leadership roles and delivered against one top opponent after another, leaving little doubt he can mix it up against the best receivers anywhere.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2024

Coach Ron Rivera said given how many looks the Patriots have defensively, it’ll be crucial to maximize every minute of practice time this week to drill the audibles and options into his head.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2023

Rapp has been calling plays since he was a 7-year-old peewee quarterback performing audibles at the line of scrimmage.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 22, 2022

“Every day, teachers call audibles at the line of scrimmage, figuring out what materials and words will work,” Mr. Pondiscio said.

From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2021

Visibles are swiftlier carried to the sense than audibles.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster

Related Words

• deafening
• detectable
• discernible
• distinct
• loud
• perceptible
• resounding
• sounding