Most people write that a dog goes “woof” or “ruff,” and you’ll also see “bark,” “arf,” and “yip” used to describe the noise a dog makes.

Quick Scoop: Dog Noises in Words

  • Common written sounds: “woof,” “ruff,” “bark,” “arf,” “yip.”
  • Puppies are often described with higher‑pitched “yip” or “yap” sounds.
  • Larger dogs are more often imagined with a deeper “woof” or “ruff.”

In everyday English, if someone asks “What noise does a dog make?”, the simple, accepted answer is:

A dog makes a “woof” sound (it barks).

Dogs, of course, make many other sounds too—like growls, whines, and howls—but for a basic question, “woof” (a bark) is the standard answer.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.