VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

audio

noun, adjective·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈɔː.di.əʊ/
US/ˈɔː.di.oʊ/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    Sound that is recorded, sent or played back through electronic equipment.

    Grammar: Not used with an or a plural: the audio is poor, not an audio.

    Patterns

    • audio of something

    The audio of the interview was too quiet to hear.

    You can download the audio for each lesson.

    The video looked good, but the audio kept cutting out.

  2. adjectivebefore a noun

    Relating to sound, or to the equipment and files that record, carry or play it.

    Grammar: Always before a noun: an audio file, audio equipment.

    She uploaded an audio file to the website.

    The stage had an expensive audio system.

    Audio quality matters more than video for podcasts.

  3. noununcountable

    Recorded spoken material, such as a book or lecture, that you listen to rather than read.

    Grammar: Often contrasted with text or video: audio and text versions.

    Patterns

    • in audio

    The novel is available in audio as well as print.

    He prefers audio when he drives to work.

    The museum offers a guide in audio.

Common combinations

audio file
Send me the audio file by email.
audio recording
The audio recording was used in court.
audio quality
The audio quality on the call was poor.
audio equipment
The band loaded its audio equipment into the van.
audio and video
The room has audio and video links for remote guests.

Synonyms and how they differ

sound
It is the general word for anything you hear, while audio usually means sound handled by technology.
recording
It names the saved material itself, rather than the sound as a type of content.
acoustic
It describes the properties of sound or unamplified instruments, and is not about electronics.

Opposites

videosilence

Word family

audible adjective
able to be heard
audiobook noun
a recording of a book being read aloud
audiovisual adjective
using both sound and pictures
audio-only adjective
without video

Commonly confused: audio or auditory?

audio vs auditory

Auditory is a scientific word about hearing in the body, while audio is about electronic sound.

Practice

The video was fine, but the ___ kept cutting out, so we couldn't hear the speaker.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “audio”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words