Thock, clack, creamy, poppy: keyboard sounds explained
Updated 29 October 2026
Short answer: thock is a deep, low, muted sound; creamy is a smooth, soft thock with no scratch; clack (or clacky) is a sharp, higher, brighter sound; poppy is a short, round pop, a bit like a cork; marbly is round and glassy; clicky is the loud, crisp click some switches make on their own, on every press. Deep and soft on one side, bright and sharp on the other.
You can hear each one below. The player uses Clacky’s own sound engine (we make Clacky, a Mac app for keyboard and click sounds), so turn your sound on.
The short version
- Thock: deep, low and muted. Creamy: a thock that is smooth and soft all the way down.
- Clack / clacky: sharp, bright and higher, often with a ring underneath.
- Poppy: short and round, like a cork. Marbly: round and glassy, like a marble on stone.
- Clicky: a loud, crisp click on the way down. Muted: barely there.
Hear each sound
Tap a word to hear a few key presses of the Clacky sound that matches it. The sounds are synthesized live in your browser from the same sound recipes the Mac app uses, so each press is a little different, like a real keyboard.
All 29 keyboard sounds, on every key
Clacky plays these sounds as you type in any app on your Mac, with a separate sound for key down and key up, and a soft click for your mouse and trackpad too. Free for 3 days, no card, then $4.99 once.
Thock
A thock is a deep, low, rounded sound with little high end, the sound of a heavy keyboard with soft switches. People chase it because it sounds calm and solid. In Clacky it’s the Cream family: Mallow (a soft, creamy thock), Custard (darker and deeper), Butter (creamy, with a little more snap) and Silk (the deepest, all body).
Creamy
Creamy is a thock that is also smooth, with no scratch or rattle and an even sound on every key. Mallow and Silk are the creamiest Clacky sounds. If thock is the pitch, creamy is the texture.
Clack and clacky
A clack is the opposite of a thock: higher, sharper and brighter, with more bite at the start and often a ring from a metal case. "Clacky" keyboards sound lively and loud. In Clacky it’s the Clack family: Anvil (a crisp clack with a metal ring), Slate (lower and chunkier) and Chrome (bright and tight).
Poppy
Poppy means short and round, with a quick "pop" on the way down and up, like pulling a little cork. It sits between thock and clack. In Clacky: the Pop family, Cork, Popcorn (higher and snappier) and Bottlecap (rounder, a little hollow).
Marbly
Marbly sounds round and glassy, like marbles settling on stone, with a short shimmer and no low boom. In Clacky: the Marble family, Agate, Onyx (lower and heavier) and Quartz (bright and clear).
Clicky
A clicky keyboard has a click built into each switch, so every press makes a loud, crisp click, and old ones add a springy ring. They are fun to type on and loud in a shared room. In Clacky: the Spring family, Mainframe (a buckling spring), Sparkplug (classic clicky switches) and Phosphor (an old terminal keyboard).
Muted, dome and typewriter
Three more you’ll hear about:
- Muted or silent: a soft pat with almost no release. In Clacky: Library, Scissor and Feather.
- Dome or tactile: a cushioned bump with a soft bottom, like many laptop and office keyboards. In Clacky: Hazel, Mochi and Cashmere.
- Typewriter: typebars, a ratchet and a bell on Return. In Clacky: Ribbon, Carriage and Newsroom.
Which one should I pick?
- Long work sessions, study, a shared room: muted or creamy. See keyboard sounds for focus and study.
- Fun and lively: poppy or clacky.
- Writing: a typewriter, for the bell.
- Recording a video: whatever you like, as long as it’s not louder than your voice.
Want every sound side by side? The typing test lets you type with each one, and the best keyboard sound apps for Mac compares the apps that play them.
Questions
What does thock mean?
Thock is a deep, low, muted keyboard sound with little high end, the sound of a heavy board with soft switches. In Clacky, the Cream family (Mallow, Custard, Butter, Silk) is the thock.
What is the difference between thock and clack?
Thock is deep, low and soft. Clack is higher, sharper and brighter, often with a ring underneath. In Clacky, compare Custard (Thock) with Anvil (Clack) in the player on this page.
What does a creamy keyboard sound like?
Creamy is a smooth, soft thock: no scratch or rattle, an even sound on every key. Mallow and Silk are the creamiest sounds in Clacky.
What does poppy mean for a keyboard?
Poppy means short and round, with a quick pop on the way down and up, like a little cork. In Clacky, the Pop family: Cork, Popcorn and Bottlecap.
Can I get a thocky keyboard sound on a MacBook?
Yes, with a keyboard sound app. Clacky plays creamy thock sounds (the Cream family) on any Mac with macOS 13 or later, MacBooks included, as you type in any app.
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- Keyboard & click sounds on MacHow they work, the permission they need, the apps, and fixes.
- Show mouse clicks on MacThe built-in option, editors, and a live ripple with a sound.
- Click sound on MacNo built-in setting: how to add one, and the permission it needs.
- Best keyboard sound appsFree and paid apps side by side, and which one fits you.
- Keyboard sounds for focusSoft typing sounds for study, writing and coding, in your headphones.
- Cozy Mac appsIdle games, ambient sounds, pets and soft clicks that run while you work.
- Teleprompter on MacRead your script under the camera, and keep it out of the recording.
- Show clicks and record click soundsGet the click ripple and the click sound into any Mac screen recording.
- Typing test with keyboard soundsA 30-second typing test you can hear, right in your browser.
New to Clacky? It’s a cozy Mac menu-bar app with click and keyboard sounds, a screen recorder, screenshots and a little harbour town that grows while you work. See every tool · Try it free for 3 days
Checked on 29 October 2026. Something changed, or something here is wrong? Email hello@clacky.app.