Earcon blends "ear" and "icon," a term from 1980s auditory-interface research. It teaches meaning to an abstract sound pattern — a short melodic motif or chord — so it comes to stand for a specific event (success, error, notification). Unlike an "auditory icon" that mimics a real-world sound (a door closing), an earcon is purely designed and carries no natural resemblance to what it represents.
A good earcon finishes in 0.1–0.5s and sits just above the noise floor, around -12 to -18dB below peak. Repetition helps users learn what it means, but firing it too often in a short span causes fatigue, so pick one earcon per event type app-wide and don't overuse it. Because meaning carried by sound alone is invisible to deaf or hard-of-hearing users, or anyone in silent mode, always pair it with a visual or haptic signal — never let sound be the only feedback.
Used for payment-success chimes, message-sent tones, error alerts, and toggle on/off clicks across OS-level and app-wide micro-feedback.
When to use
Attach it to short, repeated events like toasts or completed actions. Reuse the exact same earcon for the same meaning so recognition builds up over time.