inaudibly

IPA/ɪnˈɔːdəbli/
KK[ˌɪnˈɔdəbli]IPA/ɪnˈɔːdəbli/

inaudibly — adverb

1. at a sound level so low that it cannot be picked up by the human ear — for examp

1.adverbB2
Definition

at a sound level so low that it cannot be picked up by the human ear — for example, someone mouthing words with no detectable voice, or a noise lost beneath louder surrounding sounds.

Example

Roya murmured inaudibly, so her colleague asked her to repeat the request.

inaudibly after a verb of speaking

Pedro laughed inaudibly at the cartoon, his shoulders shaking but no sound escaping.

inaudibly with contrast clause: no sound escaping

Common collocations
  • whisper inaudibly
  • murmur inaudibly
  • mutter inaudibly
  • laugh inaudibly
  • sigh inaudibly
  • hum inaudibly
  • sing inaudibly
  • almost inaudibly
  • nearly inaudibly
Synonyms
  • silently

    stresses complete absence of sound rather than sound that is too faint to hear

  • quietly

    broader term; covers any low volume, not necessarily below the hearing threshold

  • under one's breath

    fixed phrase meaning spoken so softly that only the speaker can hear

Antonyms
  • audibly

    at a volume that can be clearly heard

Grammar Patterns

[verb] inaudibly

almost/nearly inaudibly

inaudibly + [adjective]

Usage Note

Commonly pairs with verbs of vocalisation (whisper, murmur, mutter, sigh, hum, laugh, sing) to stress that the sound falls below the threshold of hearing. Can also modify adjectives describing volume or clarity: almost inaudibly faint, inaudibly quiet.

Common Mistakes

He spoke so quiet that no one could hear him.
He spoke so quietly that no one could hear him.
the adverb 'quietly' is needed after the verb 'spoke', not the adjective 'quiet'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

These four terms all describe sound that is low or absent, but they differ in degree and connotation. 'Inaudibly' means that a sound exists — someone is speaking, laughing, or humming — but the volume is so low that nobody nearby can actually hear it. 'Silently' goes a step further: no sound is made at all (e.g. she sat silently). You can whisper inaudibly (the whisper is there but undetectable), but you cannot whisper silently (that would be mouthing words with no voice). 'Quietly' is the broadest term, covering any low-volume action that does not disturb others (e.g. close the door quietly). 'Under one's breath' is a fixed phrase for speech intended not to be caught, often muttering or complaining where only the speaker hears the words (e.g. he cursed under his breath). Use 'inaudibly' when you want to stress that a sound is present yet undetectable by anyone nearby.

inaudibly ↗silently ↗quietly ↗under one's breath

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word inaudibly is built by adding the adverb suffix -ly to the adjective inaudible. Inaudible comes from the Latin negative prefix in- ('not') combined with audibilis ('that can be heard'), which itself derives from the Latin verb audire ('to hear'). English adopted the word from Latin or through French in the early 1600s. The core verb audire is also the source of audience, audio, auditorium, and audible.