sound bite: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal to neutral; common in journalism, politics, media analysis, and everyday commentary.
Quick answer
What does “sound bite” mean?
A very short, memorable extract from a speech, interview, or statement, especially one used in media broadcasts.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A very short, memorable extract from a speech, interview, or statement, especially one used in media broadcasts.
Any concise, pithy statement or message designed for quick consumption and easy recall, often simplifying complex issues.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used identically in content and meaning in both varieties. The spelling as a single word (soundbite) is occasionally seen but the two-word form is standard in dictionaries for both.
Connotations
Consistently implies brevity, media-friendliness, and potential superficiality in both dialects.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English due to its origins in U.S. broadcast media, but very common in UK media and political discourse as well.
Grammar
How to Use “sound bite” in a Sentence
give/provide a sound bitecraft/create a sound biterely on sound bitesreduce something to a sound bitea sound bite from someoneVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sound bite” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Politicians are often accused of trying to sound-bite complex issues.
American English
- The advisor helped the candidate sound-bite his economic plan for the evening news.
adverb
British English
- He answered sound-bite fashion, avoiding any detailed explanation.
American English
- The policy was presented sound-bite quick, leaving many questions unanswered.
adjective
British English
- We live in a sound-bite age where attention spans are short.
American English
- The debate was full of sound-bite rhetoric rather than substantive discussion.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in PR and marketing to describe a concise, impactful message for media.
Academic
Used critically in media studies, political science, and sociology to discuss the simplification of public discourse.
Everyday
Used to describe any short, catchy quote from the news or a public figure.
Technical
In broadcasting, a short audio or video clip extracted for a news report.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sound bite”
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He sound-bited the policy'). The verb form is 'to sound-bite' but is rare and informal.
- Confusing it with 'soundtrack' or 'bite-sized'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The standard dictionary form is two words. 'Soundbite' is a common variant, especially in informal or journalistic writing, but the two-word form is preferred in formal contexts.
Not always. While often used critically to imply oversimplification, it can be neutrally descriptive of a concise, effective quote in media reporting.
It originated in American broadcast journalism in the 1970s, referring to short audio clips extracted from longer interviews or speeches for news reports.
A 'sound bite' is specifically a short, broadcast-friendly clip, often chosen for its memorability or emotional impact. A 'quote' can be any cited passage of any length from a written or spoken source.
A very short, memorable extract from a speech, interview, or statement, especially one used in media broadcasts.
Sound bite is usually formal to neutral; common in journalism, politics, media analysis, and everyday commentary. in register.
Sound bite: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsaʊnd baɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsaʊnd ˌbaɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sound-bite culture”
- “sound-bite politics”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the media taking a quick 'bite' of sound (speech) to feed the news cycle.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNICATION IS FOOD (a bite-sized piece of information).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary connotation of 'sound bite' in critical discourse?