How to Say "noise" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “noise” is “ruido” — use 'ruido' when the sound is bothersome, loud, or considered unpleasant, like background chatter or construction..
ruido
RWE-do/ˈrwiðo/
Examples
No puedo concentrarme con tanto ruido de la calle.
I can't concentrate with so much noise from the street.
No puedo dormir porque los vecinos hacen mucho ruido.
I can't sleep because the neighbors make a lot of noise.
Escuché un ruido extraño en la cocina anoche.
I heard a strange sound in the kitchen last night.
Baja la música, por favor. Hay demasiado ruido aquí.
Turn down the music, please. There is too much noise here.
Masculine Noun
Remember that 'ruido' is always masculine, so it always uses 'el' (el ruido) and requires masculine adjectives (un ruido fuerte).
Using 'tener' instead of 'haber'
Mistake: “La calle tiene mucho ruido.”
Correction: Hay mucho ruido en la calle. (You use 'hay' to say that noise exists in a place, not 'tener' which means 'to have'.)
sonido
/so-NEE-doh//soˈniðo/
Examples
El sonido del piano llenó la habitación.
The sound of the piano filled the room.
El sonido de la alarma me despertó.
The sound of the alarm woke me up.
¿Escuchaste ese sonido raro en el motor?
Did you hear that weird noise in the engine?
Apaga la televisión; necesito silencio, no más sonido.
Turn off the TV; I need silence, no more sound.
Gender Check
Remember that 'sonido' is a masculine word, so you must always use 'el' or 'un' before it: 'el sonido', 'un sonido nuevo'.
Verb vs. Noun Confusion
Mistake: “Using 'sonido' when you mean 'suena' (it sounds).”
Correction: Use the noun 'sonido' for the thing you hear, but use the verb 'sonar' (in its correct form, e.g., 'suena') for the action of making a sound.
Ruido vs. Sonido
Related Translations
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