Strait vs. Sound — What's the Difference?

A narrow body of water connecting two larger ones.

Often formed by the flooding of glaciated valleys.

A passage of critical strategic and economic importance.

A broad inlet of the sea or ocean.

Often characterized by challenging navigation conditions.

Important for recreational as well as commercial activities.

Can significantly influence local climates and ecosystems.

Can also refer to a large body of water separating islands from the mainland.

A geographical feature formed by natural processes.

Features diverse ecological environments.

A strait is a naturally formed, narrow, typically navigable waterway that connects two larger bodies of water. Most commonly it is a channel of water that lies between two land masses.

In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the reception of such waves and their perception by the brain.

A narrow channel joining two larger bodies of water

Vibrations transmitted through an elastic solid or a liquid or gas, with frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing.

A position of difficulty, perplexity, distress, or need

Transmitted vibrations of any frequency.

Difficult; stressful.

The sensation stimulated in the organs of hearing by such vibrations in the air or other medium.

Having or marked by limited funds or resources.

Such sensations considered as a group.

Narrow or confined.

A distinctive noise

Fitting tightly; constricted.

The distance over which something can be heard

Strict, rigid, or righteous.

An articulation made by the vocal apparatus

(archaic) Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.

The distinctive character of such an articulation

(archaic) Righteous, strict.

A mental impression; an implication

(obsolete) Tight; close; tight-fitting.

Auditory material that is recorded, as for a movie.

(obsolete) Close; intimate; near; familiar.

Meaningless noise.

(obsolete) Difficult; distressful.

(Music) A distinctive style, as of an orchestra or singer.

(obsolete) Parsimonious; stingy; mean.

(Archaic) Rumor; report.

(geography) A narrow channel of water connecting two larger bodies of water.

A long, relatively wide body of water, larger than a strait or a channel, connecting larger bodies of water.

A narrow pass, passage or street.

A long, wide ocean inlet.

A neck of land; an isthmus.

(Archaic) The swim bladder of a fish.

A difficult position.

An instrument used to examine or explore body cavities, as for foreign bodies or other abnormalities, or to dilate strictures in them.

To confine; put to difficulties.

To make or give forth a sound

To tighten.

To be given forth as a sound

(obsolete) Strictly; rigorously.

To present a particular impression

A variant of Straight.

To cause to give forth or produce a sound

Narrow; not broad.

To summon, announce, or signal by a sound

Tight; close; closely fitting.

(Linguistics) To articulate; pronounce

Close; intimate; near; familiar.

To make known; celebrate

Strict; scrupulous; rigorous.

To examine (a body organ or part) by causing to emit sound; auscultate.

Difficult; distressful; straited.

To measure the depth of (water), especially by means of a weighted line; fathom.

Parsimonious; niggargly; mean.

To try to learn the attitudes or opinions of

Strictly; rigorously.

To probe (a body cavity) with a sound.

A (comparatively) narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water; - often in the plural; as, the strait, or straits, of Gibraltar; the straits of Magellan; the strait, or straits, of Mackinaw.

To measure depth.

A neck of land; an isthmus.

To dive swiftly downward. Used of a marine mammal or a fish.

Fig.: A condition of narrowness or restriction; doubt; distress; difficulty; poverty; perplexity; - sometimes in the plural; as, reduced to great straits.

To look into a possibility; investigate.

To put to difficulties.

Free from defect, decay, or damage; in good condition

A narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water

Free from disease or injury.

A bad or difficult situation or state of affairs

Marked by or showing common sense and good judgment; levelheaded

Strict and severe;

Based on valid reasoning; having no logical flaws

(Logic) Of or relating to an argument in which all the premises are true and the conclusion follows from the premises.

Secure or stable

Financially secure or safe

Thorough; complete

Deep and unbroken; undisturbed

Compatible with an accepted point of view; orthodox

Thoroughly; deeply

Healthy.

Complete, solid, or secure.

Having the property of soundness.

Good; acceptable; decent.

(of sleep) Quiet and deep.

Heavy; laid on with force.

Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective.

Soundly.

Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm.

A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.

A vibration capable of causing such sensations.

(music) A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra, &.

Noise without meaning; empty noise.

, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.

(phonetics) A segment as a part of spoken language, the smallest unit of spoken language, a speech sound.

A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean.

The air bladder of a fish.

A long, thin probe for sounding or dilating body cavities or canals such as the urethra; a sonde.

(intransitive) To produce a sound.

(copulative) To convey an impression by one's sound.

(intransitive) To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.

To resound.

To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law, or as likely to result in a particular kind of legal remedy.

(transitive) To cause to produce a sound.

To pronounce.

(intransitive) Dive downwards, used of a whale.

To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.

Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.

(medicine) To examine with the instrument called a sound or sonde, or by auscultation or percussion.

The air bladder of a fish; as, cod sounds are an esteemed article of food.

A cuttlefish.

A narrow passage of water, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean; as, the Sound between the Baltic and the german Ocean; Long Island Sound.

Any elongated instrument or probe, usually metallic, by which cavities of the body are sounded or explored, especially the bladder for stone, or the urethra for a stricture.

The peceived object occasioned by the impulse or vibration of a material substance affecting the ear; a sensation or perception of the mind received through the ear, and produced by the impulse or vibration of the air or other medium with which the ear is in contact; the effect of an impression made on the organs of hearing by an impulse or vibration of the air caused by a collision of bodies, or by other means; noise; report; as, the sound of a drum; the sound of the human voice; a horrid sound; a charming sound; a sharp, high, or shrill sound.

The occasion of sound; the impulse or vibration which would occasion sound to a percipient if present with unimpaired; hence, the theory of vibrations in elastic media such cause sound; as, a treatise on sound.

Noise without signification; empty noise; noise and nothing else.

Whole; unbroken; unharmed; free from flaw, defect, or decay; perfect of the kind; as, sound timber; sound fruit; a sound tooth; a sound ship.

Healthy; not diseased; not being in a morbid state; - said of body or mind; as, a sound body; a sound constitution; a sound understanding.

Firm; strong; safe.

Free from error; correct; right; honest; true; faithful; orthodox; - said of persons; as, a sound lawyer; a sound thinker.

Founded in truth or right; supported by justice; not to be overthrown on refuted; not fallacious; as, sound argument or reasoning; a sound objection; sound doctrine; sound principles.

Heavy; laid on with force; as, a sound beating.

Undisturbed; deep; profound; as, sound sleep.

Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective; as, a sound title to land.

Soundly.

To measure the depth of; to fathom; especially, to ascertain the depth of by means of a line and plummet.

To explore, as the bladder or urethra, with a sound; to examine with a sound; also, to examine by auscultation or percussion; as, to sound a patient.

To ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.

To make a noise; to utter a voice; to make an impulse of the air that shall strike the organs of hearing with a perceptible effect.

To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.

To make or convey a certain impression, or to have a certain import, when heard; hence, to seem; to appear; as, this reproof sounds harsh; the story sounds like an invention.

To cause to make a noise; to play on; as, to sound a trumpet or a horn; to sound an alarm.

To cause to exit as a sound; as, to sound a note with the voice, or on an instrument.

To order, direct, indicate, or proclain by a sound, or sounds; to give a signal for by a certain sound; as, to sound a retreat; to sound a parley.

To celebrate or honor by sounds; to cause to be reported; to publish or proclaim; as, to sound the praises of fame of a great man or a great exploit.

To examine the condition of (anything) by causing the same to emit sounds and noting their character; as, to sound a piece of timber; to sound a vase; to sound the lungs of a patient.

To signify; to import; to denote.

The particular auditory effect produced by a given cause;

The subjective sensation of hearing something;

Mechanical vibrations transmitted by an elastic medium;

The sudden occurrence of an audible event;

The audible part of a transmitted signal;

(phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language

A narrow channel of the sea joining two larger bodies of water

A large ocean inlet or deep bay;

Appear in a certain way;

Make a certain noise or sound;

Give off a certain sound or sounds;

Announce by means of a sound;

Utter with vibrating vocal chords

Cause to sound;

Measure the depth of (a body of water) with a sounding line

Financially secure and safe;

Exercising or showing good judgment;

In good condition; free from defect or damage or decay;

In excellent physical condition;

Reflects weight of sound argument or evidence;

Having legal efficacy or force;

Free from moral defect;

(of sleep) deep and complete;

Thorough;

Deeply or completely;

Not necessarily; the depth of a sound can vary widely, and some are quite shallow, especially near their shores, compared to many deep-water straits.

Human activities such as fishing, boating, residential development, and tourism are commonly associated with sounds due to their scenic beauty and abundant resources.

Yes, some sounds can have freshwater characteristics if they are fed by freshwater rivers or are located at the estuaries of rivers.

Yes, many sounds have significant cultural and historical importance, often serving as sites for historical settlements, naval battles, and cultural exchange.

Straits can have a significant ecological impact by allowing for the exchange of water, nutrients, and marine life, which can affect the ecological balance in connected water bodies.

Straits can be central to issues of sovereignty and maritime law, especially when they fall within territorial waters, leading to disputes or special transit rights like 'innocent passage.'

Weather conditions in straits can be more severe and unpredictable due to funneling effects of winds and waters, whereas sounds might experience milder but variable weather due to their broader and open nature.

Yes, both straits and sounds can be artificially created or altered by human activities such as dredging and canal construction.

Biodiversity in sounds is typically high due to the mix of freshwater and saltwater environments, complex habitats, and abundant food resources.

Ecosystems in straits face challenges such as pollution, overfishing, and heavy maritime traffic, which can lead to habitat degradation and species decline.

Many sounds host cultural and community events such as festivals, fishing competitions, and environmental conservation efforts, reflecting their importance to local communities.

Straits are crucial for global trade as they often serve as the shortest maritime routes between major commercial hubs, reducing shipping time and costs.

Some of the most famous straits include the Strait of Hormuz, the Strait of Gibraltar, and the Malacca Strait, all pivotal for international maritime navigation.

Management and conservation strategies for straits often focus on navigation safety and international cooperation, whereas sounds may have more localized management focusing on ecological preservation and sustainable resource use.

Straits are often of strategic military importance because they serve as chokepoints that can be controlled or contested in naval warfare.