An earcon is a brief, distinctive sound that represents a specific event or conveys other information. Earcons are a common feature of computer
operating systems and applications, ranging from a simple
beep
The Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol (BEEP) is a framework for creating network application protocols. BEEP includes building blocks like framing, pipelining, multiplexing, reporting and authentication for connection and message-oriented pe ...
to indicate an error, to the customizable sound schemes of modern operating systems that indicate startup, shutdown, and other events.
The name is a pun on the more familiar term
icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
in computer interfaces. Icon sounds like "eye-con" and is visual, which inspired D.A. Sumikawa to coin "earcon" as the auditory equivalent in a 1985 article, 'Guidelines for the integration of audio cues into computer user interfaces.'
The term is most commonly applied to sound cues in a computer interface, but examples of the concept occur in broadcast media such as radio and television:
* The alert signal that indicates a message from the
Emergency Broadcast System
The Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), sometimes called the Emergency Broadcasting System or the Emergency Action Notification System (EANS), was an emergency warning system used in the United States. It replaced the previous CONELRAD system an ...
* The signature three-tone melody that identifies
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
in radio and television broadcasts
Earcons are generally synthesized tones or sound patterns. The similar term auditory icon refers to recorded everyday sounds that serve the same purpose.
Use in assistive technologies
Assistive technologies for computing devices—such as
screen readers
A screen reader is a form of assistive technology (AT) that renders text and image content as speech or braille output. Screen readers are essential to people who are blind, and are useful to people who are visually impaired, illiterate, or ha ...
including
ChromeOS
ChromeOS, sometimes stylized as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interfa ...
's ChromeVox,
Android's
TalkBack
Talkback or talk back may refer to:
* ''Talkback'' (album), a 1983 album by the Canadian band the Spoons
* ''Talk Back'' (Kembe X album), 2016
*Talkback, an alternate name for Marvel Comics superhero Chase Stein
* Talkback (recording), an audio ...
and
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
's
VoiceOver
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations. ...
—use earcons as a convenient and fast means of conveying to
blind or
visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
users contextual information about the
interface
Interface or interfacing may refer to:
Academic journals
* ''Interface'' (journal), by the Electrochemical Society
* '' Interface, Journal of Applied Linguistics'', now merged with ''ITL International Journal of Applied Linguistics''
* '' Int ...
they are navigating. Earcons in screen readers largely serve as
auditory cues to inform the user that they have selected a particular type of interface element, such as a button,
hyperlink or text input field.
They can also provide context about the current document or
mode
Mode ( la, modus meaning "manner, tune, measure, due measure, rhythm, melody") may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' MO''D''E (magazine)'', a defunct U.S. women's fashion magazine
* ''Mode'' magazine, a fictional fashion magazine which is ...
, such as whether a
web page is loading.
Earcons provide an enhancement to screen reader usage due to their brevity and subtleness, which is an improvement over using much longer spoken cues to provide context: using a short, distinctive beep when an interface's button is selected can be much faster and therefore more convenient to hear than using
speech synthesis to say the word "button".
Due to being non-spoken audio sounds, users must learn to associate the earcons with their meanings to be able to fully benefit from them. To help with learning such associations, some screen readers will also speak the meanings of their respective earcons, albeit towards the end of their full description of an interface element. It is recommended that earcons be introduced early on when learning how to use a screen reader to ensure that they become impulsively (and eventually,
subconsciously) associated through
habitual usage.
See also
*
Jingle
A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
References
Multimodal interaction
Display technology
Auditory displays
User interface techniques
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