hum vs sound

hum

verb
  • To produce low sounds which blend continuously 

  • To express by humming. 

  • To reek, smell bad. 

  • To make a sound from the vocal chords without pronouncing any real words, with one's lips closed. 

  • To drone like certain insects naturally do in motion, or sounding similarly 

  • To buzz, be busily active like a beehive 

noun
  • Unpleasant odour. 

  • A phenomenon, or collection of phenomena, involving widespread reports of a persistent and invasive low-frequency humming, rumbling, or droning noise not audible to all people. 

  • Busy activity, like the buzz of a beehive. 

  • A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips closed. 

  • An often indistinct sound resembling human humming. 

intj
  • Synonym of um: a noise indicating doubt, uncertainty, &c. 

  • Synonym of hmm: a noise indicating thought, consideration, &c. 

sound

verb
  • To produce a sound. 

  • To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe. 

  • Dive downwards, used of a whale. 

  • To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound. 

  • Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device. 

  • To convey an impression by one's sound. 

  • To cause to produce a sound. 

  • To examine with the instrument called a sound or sonde, or by auscultation or percussion. 

  • To pronounce. 

  • To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law, or as likely to result in a particular kind of legal remedy. 

adv
  • Soundly. 

intj
  • Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm. 

noun
  • Earshot, distance within which a certain noise may be heard. 

  • A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra, &. 

  • A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean. 

  • A long, thin probe for sounding or dilating body cavities or canals such as the urethra; a sonde. 

  • A segment as a part of spoken language, the smallest unit of spoken language, a speech sound. 

  • Noise without meaning; empty noise. 

  • A vibration capable of causing such sensations. 

  • A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium. 

  • The air bladder of a fish. 

adj
  • Heavy; laid on with force. 

  • Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective. 

  • Complete, solid, or secure. 

  • Having the property of soundness. 

  • Healthy. 

  • Quiet and deep. 

  • Good; acceptable; decent. 

How often have the words hum and sound occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )