Guide
Mechanical keyboard sound: thock, clack, and what shapes it
By Noa, founder of Keyforge · · 3 min read
Every mechanical keyboard has its own voice. People say “thock” for a deep, muted sound and “clack” for a higher, sharper one. The good news: nearly every part of the keyboard shapes some of that sound, and you can tune each one.
Thock, clack, creamy: the vocabulary
Enthusiasts have coined words for what they hear. They are subjective, but you get the hang of them quickly.
| Term | What you hear | What brings it out |
|---|---|---|
| Thock | Deep, muted, soft | Thick PBT keycaps, a flexible plate, a foam-filled case |
| Clack | Higher, sharper, louder | Thin keycaps or a tall profile, a stiff plate, long-pole switches |
| Creamy | Smooth, soft, no grit | Well-lubed switches, foam under the switches |
| Ping | A metallic ring — a flaw | Unlubed springs or stabilizers |
| Hollow | Echo, an empty-box resonance | An empty case with no foam |
Where the sound comes from
A keystroke makes noise at three moments: as the stem slides and passes any bump, when it bottoms out, and when it springs back up. Bottoming out is by far the loudest.
That sound does not stay in the switch: it travels through the plate, the PCB and the case, which filter or amplify it. That is why the same switch sounds different from one keyboard to another.
Switches and keycaps: the tone
The plastic of the switch housing colours the sound: nylon leans deeper, polycarbonate brighter. Long-pole switches give a sharper bottom-out, and lubrication removes scratch and ping. See how to choose keyboard switches.
Keycaps act as a sounding board: the thicker and denser they are, the more muted the sound; a tall profile resonates more. See the keycaps guide.
Plate and mounting: firmness and resonance
A stiff plate — aluminium, brass — gives back a higher, cleaner sound. A flexible plate — polycarbonate, POM, FR4 — absorbs more and goes deeper. Gasket mounting cushions the whole board; the harder tray mount can ping near the screws. The details are in the anatomy of a mechanical keyboard.
Case and foam: chasing out the echo
An empty case resonates like a box. Case foam fills that space and removes the echo. A thin switch foam between PCB and plate rounds off the bottom-out. The weight of the case also calms vibrations.
- The tape mod: two or three layers of masking tape on the back of the PCB, for a deeper, rounder sound.
- A desk mat under the keyboard keeps the desk from resonating with it.
Stabilizers: the detail you can hear
The space bar is the longest and most-pressed key: if its stabilizer rattles, it is all you will hear. It is the first thing to tune, before changing anything else — see the stabilizers guide.
Two starting recipes
For a deep, muted sound
Lubed linear switches with nylon housings; a polycarbonate or POM plate; gasket mounting; thick PBT keycaps in Cherry profile; foam in the case.
For a crisp, bright sound
Long-pole or polycarbonate-housing switches; an aluminium or brass plate; ABS keycaps or a tall profile; little foam.