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There is a truck tire exploded by its air pressure in it. That causes a loud noise.

Is it correct to say "I heard a (loud) puff/pop coming from the parked truck"?

What is a noun that expresses a loud noise caused by strong air pressure puffing out?

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    I usually say pop or bang.
    – Luke Sawczak
    Dec 22, 2022 at 11:49
  • @LukeSawczak, "bang" doesn't sound like a puff of air coming out.
    – Tom
    Dec 22, 2022 at 11:56
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    Nevertheless, we often use it of tires, paper bags, bubble wrap, and other things whose primary noise is the air suddenly escaping. But for a softer or slower noise, consider whoosh or whiff. Failing that, consult a list of onomatopoeia until you find one that suits :)
    – Luke Sawczak
    Dec 22, 2022 at 12:11
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    @Tom - If a truck tyre 'explodes', as you wrote in the question, it would sound like a gun or small bomb, and 'bang' would be a good word to use. If a tyre explodes, this can be dangerous for people nearby. They aren't just rubber, there are steel cords also. In 1972 I had a student summer job in a tyre depot, and I heard a big truck tyre explode. A flying piece broke a man's arm, and older workers said he was lucky to be alive. Often tyres on wheels are placed in a steel cage for testing to reduce the risk.
    – Michael Harvey
    Dec 22, 2022 at 21:20
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    A puff or loud hiss is a small weak sound like you would hear if you stuck a sharp point in an inflatable thing like a paddling pool or bouncing castle, and the air escapes over a period of time. If a big truck tyre goes, and loses all its air at once, it can make a very loud bang.
    – Michael Harvey
    Dec 22, 2022 at 21:24

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"Pop" seems the right word if it is relatively quiet, like a balloon. "Bang" if it is more explosive.

I've never heard a truck tyre exploding, but I have burst a bicycle tyre while inflating it. That was certainly a "bang" and not a "pop". I suspect that a truck tyre exploding would be a BANG!!

"Puff" is the sound of air under gentle pressure.

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  • "bang" often connects to slamming doors. Can we say "boom" instead?
    – Tom
    Dec 22, 2022 at 13:10
  • Bang is also used for small to mid sized explosions. Boom would be a distant sound more like thunder. Bang is not particularly related to doors. Any sudden loud sound can be described as a "bang".
    – James K
    Dec 22, 2022 at 13:58

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