5 Ways To Describe The Sound Of Rain (Onomatopoeia)

When trying to describe the sound of rain, we might be overwhelmed with our choices. You also might find that some adjectives just don’t do the noise justice. That’s where this article comes in, and we’ll help you with the best rain onomatopoeia words out there.

What Are The Best Ways To Spell The Sound Of Rain?

There are a few really good options to spell the sound of rain. Some of the best ones that we’ll use in this article include:

• Pitter-patter
• Thrum
• Pelt
• Batter
• Drum

The preferred version is “pitter-patter” because it refers to the light and continuous sound that rain makes when it hits a surface. We can use it to describe the exact sound of rain, and it works in almost all cases (except torrential or storming rain).

Pitter-Patter

Let’s start with the preferred version. We can use this in just about every case where it’s raining, and we’re trying to explain the noise quickly.

We can use “pitter-patter” to talk about most forms of rain. It works to describe light or quick rain, where a lot of raindrops fall on the same surface at the same time. The pitter-patter is a distinguishable noise, meaning you can almost identify each rain drop.

The definition of “pitter-patter,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a series of quick, light knocking sounds.”

“Pitter-patter” is one of the most useful rain onomatopoeia choices out there. We can use it whenever it’s raining, and we want to show the level to which it’s happening.

While it doesn’t strictly refer to the sound, it works well to describe how each raindrop interacts with the outside world.

You might see “pitter-patter” work as follows:

• Pitter-patter! That’s all I heard while it was raining last night.
• The pitter-patter of the rain was like music to my ears.
• The pitter-pattering was amazing, and I could listen to it all day.

Thrum

We might be able to use “thrum” when we’re a little further away from the raining noise. It works best when we’re indoors, and we can hear the rain outside.

A “thrum” is a low humming noise. It’s continuous and something that we would hear for long periods while it’s raining. We mostly find this useful when describing the sound of rain from inside a building. The rain would “thrum” on the building itself.

The definition of “thrum,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to make a continuous low sound.”

A “thrum” is a great noise for most people to listen to. It’s also a great way to describe the noise since “thrum” itself sounds very similar to the noise that rain might make when it’s hitting a large, solid structure.

Here’s how “thrum” could work:

• The rain was thrumming on the roof, and I could hear it in the basement.
• The thrumming was exciting because I love the sound of rain.
• That thrum of rain is drowning out my sorrows!

Pelt

“Pelt” works really well as another option to describe the sound of rain. It’s a little more specific, but we can use it in a few ways.

“Pelt” is a little harsher than some of the other noises. We use “pelt” when the raindrops are thick and heavy (almost like hail). That’s because each drop is able to make a large, pelting sound when it collides with a surface.

The definition of “pelt,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to throw a number of things quickly at someone or something.”

“Pelt” works better for storms or torrential rain. If we’re talking about lighter rain, we might be better off with one of the other options above this one.

Here are some good examples of “pelt” with rain:

• The pelt of rain coming from outside was blissful.
• The pelting sound was getting louder on the rooftop.
• The pelting made it sound like it was hailing outside.

Batter

“Batter” is one of the more aggressive words we can use to describe rain. It works best in more torrential downpours (i.e., storm-related rain or thunderstorms).

“Batter” is similar to “pelt,” but it’s the most violent of all the options. We only use it when the raindrops are thick and heavy, meaning that are harsh storm is occurring. It’s a strong word to describe the battering sound that rain can make on surfaces.

The definition of “batter,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to hit something again and again.”

You’ll typically reserve this onomatopoeia word for the worst types of rain. It would take away from the power of “batter” if you use it on a light raining spell or anything that isn’t like a storm.

Here’s how it could look:

• Batter! Batter! That noise kept me up all night long!
• The batter of the rain was almost too much for me to bear.
• That awful battering noise came back last night.

Drum

Finally, we could use “drum” in a similar way to “thrum.” It works to talk about a regular and consistent low drumming sound.

A “drumming” noise is something we would again experience from inside a building. We can typically hear the rain from inside hitting the outside shell of a building. It’s a low, humming noise, just like a “thrum,” and it works well to describe the rain.

The definition of “drum,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to hit a surface regularly and make a sound like a drum, or to make something do this.”

The best thing about using “drum” is that it’s a similar onomatopoeic word to the noise an instrumental “drum” can make.

If you think that the noise of the rain outside is similar to the drumming sound made by a musician, you might find that “drum” works really well. It’s one of the best choices because it’s so relatable for many people, and it’s easily identifiable for readers.

Here’s how it might look relating to rain:

• The drumming of the rain was getting louder.
• The drum that I was hearing came from the storm overhead.
• Drum! Drum! The rain kept hitting the top of the barrel.