Meaning & use
inaudible
Last updated
UK/ɪnˈɔːdəbl/
US/ɪnˈɔːdəbl/
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Too quiet or unclear to be heard.
Grammar: Describes sounds or speech that cannot be perceived by the ear.
Patterns
- be inaudible to someone
- inaudible whisper/murmur
The speaker's voice was inaudible at the back of the hall.
Her whisper was almost inaudible.
The recording is inaudible because of the background noise.
Common combinations
- almost inaudible
- His voice was almost inaudible over the phone.
- inaudible to
- The high-pitched sound is inaudible to most adults.
- inaudible whisper
- She spoke in an inaudible whisper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unheard
- Means not heard, often because no one was listening, not because the sound was too quiet.
- faint
- Describes a sound that is just barely audible, whereas inaudible means completely impossible to hear.
Opposites
Word family
- audible adjective
- Loud or clear enough to be heard.
- inaudibly adverb
- In a way that cannot be heard.
- audibility noun
- The quality of being able to be heard.
Commonly confused: inaudible or in audible?
inaudible vs in audible
This is not a phrase; the correct word is the single adjective 'inaudible'.
Practice
The sound was so ______ that only the dog could hear it.
Choose one answer.
The adjective 'inaudible' describes the sound. 'Inaudibly' is an adverb; 'inaudibility' is a noun; 'audible' means the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inaudible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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