noun
1
BAD : I turned on the radio but there was no noise.
GOOD : I turned on the radio but there was no sound.
BAD : He was woken up by the noise of broken glass.
GOOD : He was woken up by the sound of broken glass.
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noise = (1) loud unpleasant sounds heard as a single mass: 'The noise of the traffic gave me a headache.' 'People were making such a lot of noise that I couldn't hear what she was saying.' (2) a sound that is unpleasant and/or without meaning: 'The radio suddenly started making a funny noise.' 'What was that noise?'
sound = something that is heard or received by the ear, especially something that you recognize or can give a meaning to: 'I've always loved the sound of a classical guitar.' 'I could hear the sound of someone crying in the next room.'
2
BAD : I was woken up by a big noise outside the room.
GOOD : I was woken up by a loud noise outside the room.
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loud noise (NOT big ): 'Habitual exposure to loud noises can damage the ear.'
3
BAD : The restaurant was full and there was a loud noise.
GOOD : The restaurant was full and there was a lot of noise.
BAD : You can talk as long as you don't make a loud noise.
GOOD : You can talk as long as you don't make a lot of noise.
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A loud noise (countable) describes what you hear when, for example, somebody slams a door or drops a plate. To refer to continuous noise made during an activity, use noise as an uncountable noun: 'They don't know the difference between music and noise.'