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Animal Sounds

In different languages what do we say to mimic animal sounds? Below is the world's biggest multilingual list. A guiding principle behind this list is to visualise a comic book, in your language, and imagine what would be written in the text balloon coming from the mouth of an animal. For languages that use a different alphabet, I have tried to transliterate the word into the English alphabet for ease of comparison. A forward slash is used to separate alternative words. Please email me at dabbott(at)eleceng.adelaide.edu.au if you have any comments, corrections or additions.

See also: http://fluffypals4kids.com/dabbott-animal-et

Acknowledgements: (Danish) Per-Anker Lindgard; (Dutch) Henk van Beijeren; (English) Derek Abbott, Lloyd Irving, Cosma Shalizi, Oxford English Dictionary; (Finnish) Antti-Pekka Jauho; (French) Frederic Bonnet; (German) Ehrhard Behrends, Inke Pitz, Irena Hajnsek; (Greek) Anna Tanatzi; (Hebrew) Amit Singer; (Hungarian) Janos Bergou, Andrea Kish; (Italian) Riccardo Mannella, Louise Giamarino; (Japan) Miki Kurahashi, Nobuko Fuchikami; (Russian) Vadim Smelyanski, Slava Soskin, Kira Foygel, Mark Dykman; (Spanish) Jose Francisco Lopez Feliciano, Sebastian "Chano" Lopez Suarez, Jorge Rodriguez, Armando Morales-Castorena; (Swedish) Lisen Kulman; (Turkish) Nesimi Ertugrul.

Animal Sound

Danish

Dutch

English

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Japanese

Portugese

Russian

Spanish

Swedish

Turkish

Urdu

Bee droning

bzzz

buzz

buzz/bzzz

bzz

bzzz

summ summ

zoum zoum

bzzz

bzzz

zzzz

boon boon

zh-zh-zh

bzzz

buzz buzz

vizzz

bzzz

Bird (small)

pip-pip

tjiep

cheep/chirp/ chirrup/peep

piip

piep piep

tsiou tsiou

tziff-tziff

csip-csirip

chip

pee pee/ pii pii

fiyt-fiyt

pip-pip

jiyk jiyk

Bird (medium)

dit kari jay sige lige sa tit son jay vol

cheep cheep/ tweet

tsirk/ piip

cui cui

tschiwitt

tsiou tsiou

csirip

chip

pio

pío pío

pip-pip

juyk juyk

Bird (big)

squawk

kvak

kra kra

hihihi/ chip (loudly)

ouh-ouh

Bird (many birds)

warble/twitter

chip chip

Camel nuzzing

grumph

ga-a-a-a-h

Cat mewing

miav

miauw

meow

miau

miaou

miau

miaou

miyau

miau

miau

nyan nyan/ nyaa nyaa

miyau

miao

mjan mjan

miyav

meow

Cat purring

pierr

prrr

purr

hrr

ronron

srr

doromb

purr

goro goro

mrrr

rrr

Chaffinch

pink

Chicken (hen) clucking

tok tok

cluck cluck

kot-kot

cotcotcodet

tock tock

ko ko ko/ka ka ka

chuck-chuck

kot kot

coccodé

ku-ku-ku-ku/ ko-ko-ko-ko

ko-ko-ko

caca-racá/ cocorocó/

ock-ock

gut gut gdak

Rooster (cock) crowing

kykyliky

kukeleku

cock-a-doodle-doo

kukko kiekuu

cocorico

kikeriki

kikiriku/ kikiriki

coo-koo-ri-koo

kukuriku

chicchirichí

ko-ke-kok-ko-o

cucurucu

kukareku

quiquiriquí/ kikiriki

kuckeliku

kuk-kurri-kuuu u uru uuu (pron: oo-oore-oo)

kuklooku

Chick (baby chicken)

pip-pip

piep piep

cheep/peep

piip

piou piou

piep piep

ko ko ko

csip-csip

pio pio

piyo piyo

pi-pi-pi

pi-pi

pip-pip

jiyk jiyk

tsik-tsik

Cow lowing

moe/ boe

moo

ammuu/ möö (calf)

meuh

mmuuh

moo

moo

mu

muu

mau mau

mu-u-u

muuu/ meee

mu mu

mooo (pron: meuh)

baeh

Cow/Bull (angry) snorting

snurk

snort

pärsk

pfff

buff

Crane

clang

Crocodile (biting)

klap

snap

clap

klap

gnam

clap/ clack

Crow cawing

kra-kra

kra kra

kaak/ caw

kraa/ vaak

croa croa

kräh kräh

kra-kra

krak-krak

kár-kár

cra cra

kar-kar

kar-kar

ah ah

kra kra

gaak gaak

Cuckoo

koekoek

cuckoo

kukkuu

coucou

kuckuck

cuckoo

kakukk

cucú

kakko-kakko/ tokkyo-kyoka-kyoku (baby cuckoo)

ku-ku

cu-cu

ko-ko

Deer

troat

Donkey braying

i-a

hee haw/ eeyore

hihan

iaah iaah

iaa iaa

yi-ah

iá-iá

ioh ioh

ia-ia

iha iha/ ji-jo

a-iiii a-iiii

Dog barking (small dog)

vov-vov (in a high voice)

waf waf

yap yap/ arf arf

hau hau

ouah ouah (in a high voice)

wau wau (in a high voice)

how-how

vau vau

arf arf/ bau bau

kian kian

hav-hav/ gav-gav

guau/ gua

bjäbb-bjäbb

hev hev

Dog barking (medium dog)

vov-vov

woef woef

woof woof/ ruff ruff

vuff

ouah ouah

wau wau

gav gav

woof-woof

vau vau

bau bau

wan wan

hav-hav/ gav-gav

guav

vov-vov/ voff

hauv hauv

Dog barking (big dog)

vov-vov (in a low voice)

bow wow

vuff/ rouf

ouah ouah (in a low voice)

wuff wuff

vau vau

bau bau

wan wan

hav-hav/ gav-gav

guf guf

hov hov

bow bow

Dog (biting)

gnash/ snap

naps

gnam

gari gari

chac

Dog (gnawing bone)

knor

chomp/ chump/ gnaw

chrong

paku paku

chua-chua

haart haart

Dog (angry)

grrr

grr

grrr/ snarl/ growl

mrr

grrr

grrr

grrr

grr

uuuuu

grrrrr

grrr

grr

hirrrr

Dog (crying)

whine/whimper

juhhh

yu-yu-yuuu!

Dog (panting)

ha ha

pant pant

lääh-lääh

cha-cha

pant pant

hah hah

he-he-he

eh eh eh

heh heh heh

Dog (distressed)

peep-peep

yelp/yip/ howl/yowl

ui-ui

juhhh

huuu

o-u-u-u-h

auu

Dog (drinking)

lap lap

glup

schlapp schlapp

lefety lefety

slop slop/ slurp

hu-up hu-up

blap blap

slap slap slap (pron: schlup)

Dove crooding

roekoe

coo

kurr

rou rou

guru guru

burukk

uuu

grl-grl

gu gu/ cucurrucu

oo ho oo ho

gu gu gu guuk

Duck gabbing

rap-rap

kwak kwak

quack quack

kvak

coin coin

quack quack

pa-pa-pa

quak-quak

háp-háp

qua qua

ga ga

krya-krya

cua cua

kvack-kvack

vak vak

quak quak

Elephant trumpeting

baraag

tööt

toerroe

baaa

paoh-paoh

u-u-u

biaaah

Frog

kvæk-kvæk

kwak kwak

croak/ ribbit (USA)

kvaak

croa croa

quaak quaak

quak-quak

bre-ke-ke/ kuty kurutty/ kurutty (pron: kurutch)

cra cra

kero kero

kva-kva

croac croac

ko ack ack ack

vrak vrak

Goat bleating

mæh

mè mè

naa

mää

bêê

maehh maehh

maehehe

meh meh

mek-mek

bee

me-e me-e

me-e-e

beee

määk määk

me-e-e me-e-e

meh

Goose cackling

gak gak

honk

tööt

gak gak

gá-gá

ga-a ga-a

ga-ga-ga

gak gak

Horse neighing

neigh

hi-hiin

i-go-go

iihaha

Horse shuddering

prrr/ vrinsk

brrr

brrr

bhhh

Horse whinnying

hi hi

wehee

iha-haa

hiiiii

wihiie

nyihaha

hiii

hihiiiiin

ihiii

e-he-he-he

Horse (hoof sound)

klip-klap

klip klap

clip clop

kopotikop

clip clop

klip klap

clippete/ clip clop

paka paka

ta-tá ta-tá ta-tá

cotocloc

deg-a-dek

Lion roaring

grrrr/ grauuw

raa/grr/roar

raoh

grr

ah ah/gra gra

grr/ roar

gaooooo

r-r-r-r

grr

uagh

Moose

bröl

Mouse squeeking

piep piep

eek

piep piep

cin-cin (pron: tsin-tsin)

squit

chu-chu

pi-pi-pi

iiik

pip-pip

viyk viyk

Owl hooting

oe hoe

twit twoo/hoo hoo/whit woo/terwit terwoo

huhuu

hou hou

uhu/ huuh huuh

hu

hu hu

hoh hoh

uh! uh! uh!

uhh uhh

ho-ho

uuu uuu

hoo hoo

Ox lowing

boo/booh

meuh

Parrot

lorre/ Lora Lora

pretty Polly/ Who's a pretty boy?

coco

Lora Lora

gyuri

pityu

Portobello

ohayo (=good morning)

Pópka-durák

lorito lorito

vakra klara

naaber naaber/ nasilin nasilin/ mucuk mucuk (pron: mujuk)

mea mitu/ churi

Pig grunting

øf-øf

knor knor

oink

nöff

groin groin

grunz

röf-röf (pron: reuf-reuf)

oink

boo boo

hrgu-hrgu

oink/ oinc

nöff-nöff

Pig squealing

hvin

sweek

wee wee

quiek

ui-uii

bu-hii bu-hii

iiih/ uiii/ cuiii

Pigeon cooing

coo

kurr

rou rou

guru guru

gru uu

woo-woo

burukk

hu hu

guli-guli

ruú-ruú/ cucurrocu

oo ho oo ho

gu gu gu guuk

Raven croaking

kra-kra

kra kra

caw

croâ croâ

kra-kra

kár-kár

cra cra

kar-kar

kra-kra

Sheep bleating

mæh-mæh

bè bè

baa

mäh

bêê

baehh baehh

mae-ee

beee

bee

meh meh

beee

beee beee

bä bä

maeh maeh

Snake hissing

sss

sss

sss

hiss

sss

sss

sss

psss

sz-sz

hshs

ssss

sss

sss

sss

Sparrow

chun chun

Tiger roaring

grr

grr

raa/grr

grr

grr

grr

grr

gaooooo

grrr

grrr

grr

Turkey (male cock)

gobble gobble

glou glou

glou glou

clou clou/ goro-goro-goro (Mexico)

glu glu

Turkey (female hen)

yelp

Wolf howling

oou

ahoo/ hoeea

owooooo

uhuu

ooouh

huh

oou

huu

uuu

auuuh

oooahh

ooo

Woodcock

peent

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