# Is too much effort spent on learning animal noises? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 28, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972 "2026-07-28T03:55:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/1 "2026-07-28T03:55:30Z")
I heard a comedian going on about this a few days ago. And it does seem considerable time and energy is spent on learning which animals make which noise, and the slightly weird sounds foreign animals in foreign languages make. Also, no one ever has actually heard a dog go “bow wow”. I don’t agree this is wasted effort, exactly. Learning to talk is complex, and liking animals probably correlates well with empathy and agreeableness. The comedian found little use in adult life for knowing that French pigs go “gron gron” or English sheep go “baaa”. But if you ever find yourself talking with someone who doesn’t speak even a few words of your language, making animal noises remains a surprisingly effective icebreaker. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/2 "2026-07-28T03:58:36Z")
And I still am happy to know the sound three singing pigs make! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/3 "2026-07-28T06:31:42Z")
Little kids don’t make animal noises to learn something, they do it because it’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/4 "2026-07-28T06:37:47Z")
You ever notice animals don’t stutter? I have cat who clicks in a weird way. He meows but it comes out as little clickety clicks. I call him Ol’ Stutterin’ Jo. And say “spit it out, would ya!” He’s not a bit bothered by it. I say, I have learned tolerance from that cat. Learning animal sounds as a stutterer was completely out of the question. Of course anything I had to say aloud in front of people, upon request was bad. But everyone thinks a young child can do it. So it was doubly degrading. Yeah, don’t make your kid perform. Please. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/5 "2026-07-28T06:48:57Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-0MTn8sP_9s/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AH-BIAC4AOKAgwIABABGEIgZShgMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDIAr60mnn5r8P5p0td4xO6xmDyPg "Family Guy - Stewie European Animal Soundboard") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0MTn8sP_9s) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/6 "2026-07-28T07:27:26Z")
I’m still waiting to learn what the fox says. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/7 "2026-07-28T07:45:44Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I have cat who clicks in a weird way. He meows but it comes out as little clickety clicks. … I had a cat that couldn’t meow. He could make all the regular cat noises: purrs, yowls, hisses, and so on. But instead of a “meeowww” to get my attention, the best he could do was a sharp and sudden “Wa!”, like a 1970s funk guitar. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/8 "2026-07-28T07:59:45Z")
I think they are generally learning how to make sounds that later become syllables. But also learning what animals exist in the world is important, especially for kids who may never see them. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/9 "2026-07-28T09:45:26Z")
Give me 90 seconds with that comedian and I’ll get out of him an admission he has voluntarily spent time learning non-essential things. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/10 "2026-07-28T10:19:26Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I heard a comedian going on about this a few days ago. So someone going for laughs rather than a genuine debate? > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > And it does seem considerable time and energy is spent on learning which animals make which noise, and the slightly weird sounds foreign animals in foreign languages make. Having read English books to my own kids and taught English to kindergarten students in Taiwan, I disagree that “considerable time and energy” is spent learning animal sounds. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/11 "2026-07-28T12:48:08Z")
One of the Discworld books has a father reading a book of animal sounds to his son, and noting that they’re city people, and will most likely never see any of these animals live. No, a pig does NOT go “oink”; it goes “sizzle”. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/12 "2026-07-28T14:26:13Z")
“Randy, how do the little piggies go?” “Oink, oink!” ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/13 "2026-07-28T14:51:57Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > One of the Discworld books has a father reading a book of animal sounds to his son, and noting that they’re city people, and will most likely never see any of these animals live. No, a pig does NOT go “oink”; it goes “sizzle Actually, it’s mildly surprising to me that Discworld cities don’t have pigs running around in the streets. Or at least live ones in the marketplaces, and being driven to and from there. It’s only relatively recently that Roundworld cities evicted most of the domestic animals. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/14 "2026-07-28T23:53:07Z")
They still make speak n’ spells? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/15 "2026-07-28T23:57:34Z")
There are efforts to use AI to decode the languages various species use to communicate with each other. Its going to be pretty impressive, maybe we can have more meaningful conversations with various social animals with larger brains (especially mammals) > **[Earth Species Project](https://earthspecies.org/)** > > Earth Species Project is the new frontier of interspecies understanding. We decode animal communication with advanced AI to illuminate the diverse intelligences on earth. > **[AI-assisted animal language translation — Wild Animal Initiative](https://www.wildanimalinitiative.org/blog/ai-animal-translation)** > > May 31, 2025 Every animal welfare scientist has probably thought at some point in their career, “My job would be a lot easier if the animals could just tell me how they’re feeling.” The new — and booming — field of interspecies communication asks:... ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/16 "2026-07-29T00:07:43Z")
The Patrician says “Don’t let me detain you” (“Don’t let him detain you”) **This is not my cow!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/17 "2026-07-29T00:15:53Z")
“Use AI to decode animal communication” is something that’s a lot easier said than done. How? What can the AI do that we can’t? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/18 "2026-07-29T00:30:24Z")
The horse says “Doctorate denied.” ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/19 "2026-07-29T03:02:58Z")
Two hillbillies steal a pig and drive off in their pickup truck. They put a hat and a coat on the pig. The sheriff and his deputy stop them, and ask their names. “Uh, Bill Johnson”. “Uh, Joe Johnson” “What’s your name?”, they ask the one in the middle. “OINK!” After they drive off, the sheriff tells the deputy, “That Oink Johnson is the ugliest man I’ve ever seen!” ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972/20 "2026-07-29T04:05:22Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > I disagree that “considerable time and energy” is spent learning animal sounds. Agreed. My sense is that kids are _interested_ in animals and the sounds they make, so animal sounds are _used to teach_ sounds (what sorts of sounds this language uses) and words (or proto words?) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-too-much-effort-spent-on-learning-animal-noises/1031972.md?page=2)