Trivia Time

What are sounds above the human audible range are 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

“They took me,” Wilber said, his squeaky voice barely audible amid the static.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

The devices produce sounds audible only to porpoises and dolphins, which can deter them from approaching fishing nets.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Faint chants of “Libertad” were audible from inside the facility.

From Slate ● May 29, 2026

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

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

He stretches his fingers, frowning at the audible creaking of the joints.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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

Microphones in the shoulder pads of offensive linemen pick up audibles, like when quarterback Peyton Manning famously yelled “Omaha” repeatedly.

From New York Times ● Aug. 17, 2020

The playbook for operating training camp during a pandemic includes unexpected audibles.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2020

He asked defensive coordinator Dennis Allen if he could call the plays and audibles, because he knew the offense, and understood how Brady would think, better than Denver’s defensive coaches.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 1, 2019

Visibles are swiftlier carried to the sense than audibles.

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

Related Words

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