noun, noun, used as a suffix
General term for audible sound or noise. Also used as a suffix in compounds like 爆音 (explosion sound) or 足音 (footsteps).
遠くから変な音が聞こえた。
I heard a strange sound from far away.
この機械は音がうるさい。
This machine makes a loud noise.
noun
speech sound; phonetic sound
Specifically refers to sounds of spoken language, such as vowels and consonants.
日本語の「ん」という音は、英語にはない。
The sound 'n' in Japanese does not exist in English.
noun
on'yomi; Chinese-derived reading
In the context of kanji, refers to the reading derived from Chinese, as opposed to 訓 (kun'yomi). Often used in compounds like 音読み.
See also: 訓
この漢字の音は「カ」です。
The on'yomi of this kanji is 'ka'.
The kanji 音 represents 'sound' and is used in many compounds. The reading おん comes from Middle Chinese. The word itself is a basic Sino-Japanese term.