If you were to poll a hundred people and ask them what the most horrible sounds in the world are, you would likely get a variety of interesting answers. You’d probably also get quite a few answers in common. I think most people will agree that the sound of fingernails scraping against a blackboard is not a pleasant sound and probably ranks right up there with the worst sounds known to mankind. (and womankind for that matter).

There’s actually a website called Bad Vibes that took a worldwide poll to determine which noises are the most horrible sounds to human ears. Interestingly enough, fingernails scraping against a blackboard was not the number one worst sound. The sound that topped the list as being the worst noise imaginable was the sound of a person vomiting. Retching definitely doesn’t rank as one of the life’s most soothing sounds which wouldn’t come as a surprise to most people.

In this particular survey, there were a few other medically related worst sounds including the sound of coughing and the vibrations of a dentist drill. This one was enough to give most people the jitters just contemplating it. Another unwelcome noise was the sound of gas being expelled, more commonly known as farting. Sniffing also made the top twenty list of most horrible sounds although to some people this might be more annoying than horrible.

Other horrible, or at least highly irritating, sounds were mechanical. These included the sound of a seesaw squeaking, the moan made by a creaky door, and the sound of polystyrene squeaking. Others that made the top twenty worst sounds were electrical in nature including the feedback given off by a microphone when its turned on, mobile ringtones, and the hum of electricity.

Other notably horrible sounds were animal related including the sound emanating from the Tasmanian devil, dogs barking, and a cat spitting. Which brings up the interesting question of what human sounds irritate animals? Are dogs repulsed by the sound of fingernails scraping against a blackboard?

One of the top twenty most horrible sounds was cited by more men than women, showing there are sex variations in what people perceive as unpleasant. This was the sound of crying babies. Women seemed to be more tolerant of the sound while men were more likely to plug their ears or move themselves out of ear shot.

Why are people repulsed by certain sounds? No one knows the answer to this for sure although past experience and learned behavior may play an important role. There also may be a physiological component as the eardrum may be more sensitive to sounds of certain frequencies or patterns. Nevertheless, most people can agree on one thing, the sound of the dentist drill could be appealing only to a dentist.