The way Reverse Dictionary works is pretty simple. It simply looks through tonnes of dictionary definitions and grabs the ones that most closely match your search query. For example, if you type something like «longing for a time in the past», then the engine will return «nostalgia». The engine has indexed several million definitions so far, and at this stage it’s starting to give consistently good results (though it may return weird results sometimes). It acts a lot like a thesaurus except that it allows you to search with a definition, rather than a single word. So in a sense, this tool is a «search engine for words», or a sentence to word converter.
I made this tool after working on Related Words which is a very similar tool, except it uses a bunch of algorithms and multiple databases to find similar words to a search query. That project is closer to a thesaurus in the sense that it returns synonyms for a word (or short phrase) query, but it also returns many broadly related words that aren’t included in thesauri. So this project, Reverse Dictionary, is meant to go hand-in-hand with Related Words to act as a word-finding and brainstorming toolset. For those interested, I also developed Describing Words which helps you find adjectives and interesting descriptors for things (e.g. waves, sunsets, trees, etc.).
In case you didn’t notice, you can click on words in the search results and you’ll be presented with the definition of that word (if available). The definitions are sourced from the famous and open-source WordNet database, so a huge thanks to the many contributors for creating such an awesome free resource.
Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source code that was used in this project: Elastic Search, @HubSpot, WordNet, and @mongodb.
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If you had just learnt that pluviophile was a word then here’s another one for you !
The word onomatopoeia describes words that sound like the thing they describe. The definition of onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it.
Rythmic Rain — by Paul McCann
Tip Tap goes the rain
Spitting on my window pane
Drip drip from the trees
Sodden earthy and soggy leaves
Splosh Splash puddle pools
Jumping on their way to schools
Interestingly, the variety of words describing rain sounds are some of the most common examples of onomatopoeia.
It’s not unique to the english language either, most languages have examples of onomatopoeic words and I’m going to mention a few specific to the sound that rain makes.
In Japanese shito shito (しとしと) for steady rain, zaa-zaa (ざーざー) for heavy rain and potsu potsu (ぽつぽつ) can describe when rain starts falling.
In Korean the sound of rain is ju-ruk and in French plic ploc. In chinese xī lì huālā (淅瀝哗啦) mimicks the sound of falling rain and rustling leaves. In hungarian its csipp csepp and in hebrew teef taf.
I wonder if there’s also a word that describes words that sound like the word used to describe that word … if you can figure that out you get a thunderous applause 
Here are two onomatopoeia examples of the pitter pattering of rain on an umbrella and the rat-a-tat drumming of rain on the roof of a car.
— Pluviophile
When trying to describe the sound of rain, we might be overwhelmed with our choices. You also might find that some adjectives just don’t do the noise justice. That’s where this article comes in, and we’ll help you with the best rain onomatopoeia words out there.
What Are The Best Ways To Spell The Sound Of Rain?
There are a few really good options to spell the sound of rain. Some of the best ones that we’ll use in this article include:
- Pitter-patter
- Thrum
- Pelt
- Batter
- Drum
The preferred version is “pitter-patter” because it refers to the light and continuous sound that rain makes when it hits a surface. We can use it to describe the exact sound of rain, and it works in almost all cases (except torrential or storming rain).
Pitter-Patter
Let’s start with the preferred version. We can use this in just about every case where it’s raining, and we’re trying to explain the noise quickly.
We can use “pitter-patter” to talk about most forms of rain. It works to describe light or quick rain, where a lot of raindrops fall on the same surface at the same time. The pitter-patter is a distinguishable noise, meaning you can almost identify each rain drop.
The definition of “pitter-patter,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a series of quick, light knocking sounds.”
“Pitter-patter” is one of the most useful rain onomatopoeia choices out there. We can use it whenever it’s raining, and we want to show the level to which it’s happening.
While it doesn’t strictly refer to the sound, it works well to describe how each raindrop interacts with the outside world.
You might see “pitter-patter” work as follows:
- Pitter-patter! That’s all I heard while it was raining last night.
- The pitter-patter of the rain was like music to my ears.
- The pitter-pattering was amazing, and I could listen to it all day.
Thrum
We might be able to use “thrum” when we’re a little further away from the raining noise. It works best when we’re indoors, and we can hear the rain outside.
A “thrum” is a low humming noise. It’s continuous and something that we would hear for long periods while it’s raining. We mostly find this useful when describing the sound of rain from inside a building. The rain would “thrum” on the building itself.
The definition of “thrum,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to make a continuous low sound.”
A “thrum” is a great noise for most people to listen to. It’s also a great way to describe the noise since “thrum” itself sounds very similar to the noise that rain might make when it’s hitting a large, solid structure.
Here’s how “thrum” could work:
- The rain was thrumming on the roof, and I could hear it in the basement.
- The thrumming was exciting because I love the sound of rain.
- That thrum of rain is drowning out my sorrows!
Pelt
“Pelt” works really well as another option to describe the sound of rain. It’s a little more specific, but we can use it in a few ways.
“Pelt” is a little harsher than some of the other noises. We use “pelt” when the raindrops are thick and heavy (almost like hail). That’s because each drop is able to make a large, pelting sound when it collides with a surface.
The definition of “pelt,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to throw a number of things quickly at someone or something.”
“Pelt” works better for storms or torrential rain. If we’re talking about lighter rain, we might be better off with one of the other options above this one.
Here are some good examples of “pelt” with rain:
- The pelt of rain coming from outside was blissful.
- The pelting sound was getting louder on the rooftop.
- The pelting made it sound like it was hailing outside.
Batter
“Batter” is one of the more aggressive words we can use to describe rain. It works best in more torrential downpours (i.e., storm-related rain or thunderstorms).
“Batter” is similar to “pelt,” but it’s the most violent of all the options. We only use it when the raindrops are thick and heavy, meaning that are harsh storm is occurring. It’s a strong word to describe the battering sound that rain can make on surfaces.
The definition of “batter,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to hit something again and again.”
You’ll typically reserve this onomatopoeia word for the worst types of rain. It would take away from the power of “batter” if you use it on a light raining spell or anything that isn’t like a storm.
Here’s how it could look:
- Batter! Batter! That noise kept me up all night long!
- The batter of the rain was almost too much for me to bear.
- That awful battering noise came back last night.
Drum
Finally, we could use “drum” in a similar way to “thrum.” It works to talk about a regular and consistent low drumming sound.
A “drumming” noise is something we would again experience from inside a building. We can typically hear the rain from inside hitting the outside shell of a building. It’s a low, humming noise, just like a “thrum,” and it works well to describe the rain.
The definition of “drum,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to hit a surface regularly and make a sound like a drum, or to make something do this.”
The best thing about using “drum” is that it’s a similar onomatopoeic word to the noise an instrumental “drum” can make.
If you think that the noise of the rain outside is similar to the drumming sound made by a musician, you might find that “drum” works really well. It’s one of the best choices because it’s so relatable for many people, and it’s easily identifiable for readers.
Here’s how it might look relating to rain:
- The drumming of the rain was getting louder.
- The drum that I was hearing came from the storm overhead.
- Drum! Drum! The rain kept hitting the top of the barrel.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
The onomatopoeic word for the sound of rain is «pitter-patter.»
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The word to express the sound of rain is Pitter — patter.
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There are a lot of good idiomatic phrases in English for rain:
The rain pitter-pattered on the roof top.
«Pitter-patter» means light sounds or beats, and often is used to describe the sound of small animals (like cats) as they gently move about. It has a fairly positive and easy-going connotation, and using «pitter-patter» to describe rain invokes a sense of melody and calm.
The rain sprinkled on the roof top.
«Sprinkle» means scattering or dispersing. It generally is applied to small objects, like dust or sugar coatings. When describing rain, it generally implies that the rain drops are small and gentle. It can imply a feeling of spreading in a haphazard or unguided way. For this reason, it has a fairly neutral connotation, generally meaning light rain.
The rain showered the roof top.
«Shower» means a lot of water, should evoke the feeling of being in a shower. It creates a sense of a large quantity of water, coming down in large drops. It’s not necessarily aggressive or negative, but implies lots and lots of water. A «shower» of water on the roof wouldn’t be resolvable in individual drop sounds, but would instead be a steady drone of noise.
The rain pelted the roof top.
«Pelt» means to attack with objects. Here, it should evoke a sense of anger or aggression, as if the water were throwing itself in attack at the roof. «Pelting rain» would be large, fast drops, coming down hard.
The rain battered the roof top.
«Batter» means to beat or attack. Generally, it always evokes a sense of aggression and violence. When used with rain, it often implies a type of windy rain, as the wind and the rain «work together» to attack the building. In the minds eye, you might see shutters banging about and hear the whistling of the wind when you imagine «battering rain».
There are a lot more phrases, but these should get you going. If you are looking for a more specific connotation, I’ll see what I can come up with.