This article was originally writter by Colin Hanna and updated with the latest research by Naima Karp in 2025.
What does sex sound like? Sex sounds vary from person to person – often, female sex sounds will include heavy breathing and moaning sound effects. Male sex sounds will commonly include grunting.
So, what kind do you make while having sex? Are you a moaner, a grunter or do you stay as quiet as a church mouse throughout the entire affair? Making noises during sex – as well as making no noises at all – is completely natural, and they happen for different reasons. But what is the science behind orgasm sounds and sex sounds?
If you grunt when you thrust, that’s probably because you’re really putting your back into it. According to Lorraine McCune, who has been studying the grunt at Rutgers University since the late 80s, a grunt tends to be the result of physical exertion and not so much pleasure. McCune elaborates:
“Under conditions of metabolic demand, activation of the intercostal muscles to maintain lung inflation during expiration sets in motion reflex contraction of laryngeal muscles, creating a system under pressure that lengthens the expiration phase of the breath and enhances oxygenation of the blood. Expiration against the constricted glottis produces pulses of sound.”
Why do men moan during sex and why does a woman moan during sex?
It’s not just moaning – a grunt, heavy sigh, or moan can just come out of you. It simply happens.
In fact, trying to suppress a grunt can have an adverse effect (maybe) when it comes to sex. The thinking here is that when you suppress a grunt, you’re actually depleting some of the energy that is being used on the activity you’re engaged in. This is merely an anecdotal connection based on findings of a University of Nebraska Omaha study that found tennis players who grunt increase their serve velocity by 3.8%. So maybe grunters get in more powerful pumps?
Meanwhile, when it comes to moans, the first thing you’ll realize is that you hear them everywhere. This is because, unlike the grunt, a moan isn’t tied to exertion. It’s much more communicative. We moan during a deep post-sleep stretch, as well as when we take that first bite of the office birthday cake.
It’s a more efficient form of communication than words
The words we use the most are very short, compared with the words we use the least, which are much longer. And when it comes to communicating something like “Yes, keep going,” or “That feels good. Do it just like that,” during sex, a moan does just the trick. It allows partners to communicate straightforward directions while both parties are otherwise too occupied to share a few words between them.
Because sex is a workout
According to Science Direct, the vigorous physical exertion aspect of sex makes us express ourselves in noises. Have you ever wondered, “Why do I run out of breath during sex?” It’s because studies say it can be a moderate form of exercise. A small study from the University of Quebec at Montreal showed that men can burn up to 101 calories per session, and women burn up to 69 calories.
For men, grunting while thrusting stabilizes your core while increasing lung pressure, which improves performance during sex. For women, moaning sex sounds can correlate to contractions of muscles.
Do sex sounds turn people on?
While some people don’t care if their partner is vocal or not, many people use these sounds as a way to gauge if they’re bringing their partner pleasure, and the sounds sex leads to can act as a form of feedback. There’s nothing better than a grunt, moan, or an affirmative “Yes!”
It can be incredibly hot to see your partner give in to the pleasure they’re experiencing with you in the heat of the moment.
Dirty talk and feedback during sex also count as a sex sound and a way to communicate what feels good. As a society, we need to encourage more healthy sexual dialogues and resources in the bedroom, from couples therapy and sex toys to open and honest discussions – now that’s a turn on!
What if you don’t make any sex sound effects?
There’s nothing wrong with you if you have silent sex – we don’t all make orgasm sounds, and that’s perfectly fine. If it helps you focus on staying present and in the moment, this may be a better decision for you. However, upping the volume might be worth a try just to see how it feels. One benefit of moaning or vocalizing is that it helps you to breathe deeply during sex, which in turn promotes circulation, two things that can greatly aid your orgasmic chances.
However, this is not at all to say that if you stay silent during sex, you are somehow missing out. According to sex therapist Nan Wise, a person might just be quiet during sex because they are concentrating on their own sensations, saying, “It can be a way to be focused on the inside, on what’s going on for you.”
Why do men and women make different sounds during sex?
Sex sounds aren’t gendered. But studies do show that women tend to be louder (especially during orgasm), while male vocalizations are likely to include heavy breathing and grunts.
The study shows that men often get louder as they approach climax leading to an orgasm sound, whereas women can moan consistently throughout and have a lower threshold for making sex sound effects. When orgasm approaches, sounds become more unpredictable for all genders.
Making fake orgasm sounds
Vocalization isn’t always reflexive. Sometimes (not always), women make more sounds during sex because they feel the need to “perform” and mask the fact that they’re not feeling as much pleasure as they think they should.
This study from the Archives of Sexual Behavior asked 71 women a series of questions that led to the concept that women often make conscious vocalizations that aren’t a result of expressing sexual arousal but instead used to speed up ejaculation due to a range of factors, including boredom, discomfort, or fatigue. Based on that study, 80% of women had faked it, and 87% felt that making sounds improved their partner’s self-esteem.
While it’s nice to be concerned about your partner’s confidence, pleasure is a birthright, and everyone deserves to experience it in an authentic way.
If you’ve ever faked an orgasm, consider introducing sex toys like clitoral vibrators into your partnered sex.
The Sona 2 and Sila mimic oral sex, while the Lily 3 is a lay-on vibrator that hugs external and internal parts of the clitoris while fitting seamlessly between partners.
What does an orgasm sound like?
Orgasm sounds are different for everyone. Maybe they’re silent, filled with moans, or an ear-piercing scream that might make your neighbors wonder what exactly is happening on the other side of the wall. Ultimately, sex is all about spontaneously expressing your pleasure, and whether you do that vocally, through facial expressions, or by some other means, there is no standard or ‘normal’!
Think you know what an orgasm sounds like? Well, to test your skills, we’ve created a quiz just for you. And there’s a prize if you get them right.
What has been your experience with vocalizing during sex? Do you make moans, give grunts, or stay silent? Do you feel you make too much noise, or somehow not enough? Let us know in the comments below!
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