Download Hearing and Sound Vocab Study Guide

Hearing and Sound Vocabulary
Understanding these words and being able to use them accurately will allow for success in the current
unit. Please study these terms at home and there will be a test (matching the term and the definition)
on January 13, 2013.
Unpleasant Sounds: noise (any sound that is considered unwanted, unpleasant or too loud) sound
waves that have no smooth pattern
Pleasant Sounds: sounds that do not hurt your ear
Decibels (dB): the unit used to measure the loudness/intensity of sound
Deaf: unable to hear sounds
Pitch: the highness or lowness of a sound
Volume: the loudness or softness of a sound
Inner Ear: inside the ear is a coiled tube called the cochlea and it is filled with fluid and nerve endings
Middle Ear: three tiny bones (hammer, anvil, stirrup) that form a bridge between the eardrum and the
inner ear
Outer Ear: also known as the pinna, this is the visible part of the ear which is made up of skin and
cartilage
Eardrum: a piece of skin inside your ear that is stretched tight like the skin of a drum
Auditory Nerve: the nerve that sends signals about what you hear from your inner ear to your brain
Ear Canal: the tube through which sound travels from the outer ear to the eardrum
Megaphone: a funnel or cone shaped device for amplifying sound or directing sound
Sound: can pass through a solid, liquid or air
Echo: the bouncing or reflection of a sound wave from a surface
Frequency: the number of sound vibrations per second
Vibration: movements back and forth or up and down that create a sound
Wavelength: one full wave movement, such as from the crest of one wave to the crest of the next wave
Amplifying Sound: to increase the volume of sound