Punctuate an impact
A hit taken landing a frame after the contact sells the blow better than the impact Foley does on its own.
Edit prompt
Grunt sound effects
The lift, the hit taken, the landing, the effort held through a long push, and the two-note grunt that means yes. A usable bank for game dialogue and Foley.
- Ask for where the breath goes, because that is what separates a lift from a hit taken
- A bank voiced for your character rather than the stock grunts in every asset pack
- Download clean audio and drop it straight into your project
Effort sounds for games, film, and animation
Lift
Low and compressed with the breath cut off. Effort held in, which is what the body does when it is taking weight.
Hit taken
Air forced out involuntarily with no shape to it. The absence of control is the whole cue, so nothing here should sound performed.
Landing
A short low sound with the knees absorbing it. Softer than a hit taken, because this one was expected.
Long exertion
Held through a push, tightening steadily and released at the end. The release is what tells the audience it worked.
Acknowledgement
Two closed-mouth hums on a falling interval. Means yes without a word, which is most of what a taciturn character needs.
Giving up
A long breath released downward with the effort abandoned partway. The opposite of the exertion card, and the more useful one.
Generate an effort sound from a prompt
Pick a starting point, edit anything you like, then generate it in Morphic.
Ways to use a grunt sound effect
Fill a physical action without music
A long exertion carries three seconds of somebody pushing something, so a struggle plays without a score telling you it is hard.
Edit prompt
Tell the audience how heavy it is
A short compressed grunt reads as manageable. One held for three seconds and released reads as at the limit. The length is the weight.
Edit prompt
Give a character a voice without dialogue
Two low hums meaning yes lets somebody answer without a line, which is how a quiet character stays quiet and still communicates.
Edit prompt
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Sneeze sound effects
Sneeze sound effects for comedy timing, allergy scenes and horror reveals. Generate a stifled sneeze, a wet one or a slow build-up that fits your take.
Snoring sound effect
Generate snoring sound effects with Morphic. Describe the sleeper, the rasp and the rhythm, and get a clean take that sits under dialogue.
More sound effects in Human & vocal
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FAQs
What is the difference between a lift grunt and a hit grunt?
Where the breath goes. A lift holds the breath and cuts it off at the end because the body is bracing. A hit forces it out involuntarily with no shape at all. Getting that backwards is the most common mistake in game audio.
How is this different from the angry page?
Intent. A grunt is aimed at nobody and carries effort or acknowledgement. Anger is directed at someone and carries a target. A scene almost never wants both, which is why they are separate pages.
How many grunts does a game character need?
Usually three to five variations of each action, so repeated playback does not become obvious. Generate each one separately rather than trimming one long take, since a real variation differs in shape and not just in length.
How do I make a grunt sound involuntary?
Ask for no shape to it. A performed grunt has a beginning, a middle and an end; an involuntary one is just air leaving. Saying "sudden and involuntary with no shape" is what removes the performance.
Can I get a female or older voice?
Yes. Change the description at the front and leave the breath notes alone, since the direction of the breath is what carries the action rather than the voice.
Can I use these in a commercial game?
Yes. Audio generated on a paid Morphic plan is cleared for commercial use, including shipped games, with no attribution required.