'声音' (shēng yīn) literally combines 'shēng' (sound, tone, or voice) and 'yīn' (sound, note, or resonance), forming a general term for any audible vibration — whether human speech, animal calls, musical notes, or environmental noise. It emphasizes the physical or perceptual quality of sound rather than its source or meaning.

This word is neutral in register and widely used across contexts: describing someone’s vocal timbre ('her voice sounds warm'), identifying animal calls ('the dog’s bark is a loud sound'), or referring to audio in technology ('adjust the volume to control the sound'). Unlike 'voice' alone (which often implies human speech or identity), '声音' encompasses all audible phenomena, making it broader and more objective.