Sunday. When they do so they raise a leg, this dominant posture utilizes multiple forms of communication and is called a Raised Leg Urination or RLU. link1, link2, video, 1. to utter a loud deep sound of grief or pain, 2. the sound of funeral bells (in the poem "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe, 3. sound of drums (in the poem "Lepanto" by G. K. Chesterton: "For he heard drums groaning and he heard guns jar ", a low, guttural, menacing sound made by an animal, such as a bear, grrrakka kkakkakkakkakkakkakk akkakkakk kkakka akk, Sounds made by a jackhammer (From Diggers go by Steve Light). find dog vocalizations, Howler monkeys are widely considered to be the loudest land animal. Wolves communicate in a unique way. Or, more rarely, it moves into a pack with a missing dominant male or female and takes its place, or perhaps kills another dominant wolf of the same gender and usurps its mate. Find more chewing noises, small children's word for train (steam engine), steam engine or train. Possibly of imitative origin. Following the dominance rules usually keeps the wolves in a pack from fighting among themselves and hurting each other. Its just that most people who hear them are sitting quietly in the evening so can hear it, whereas they are busy at 2pm and sleeping at 4am, and not paying as much attention to their ears as they are their eyes. 1. How do wolves converse? Even though they cannot talk or write, wolves communicate effectively in several ways. Hissing "This noise sounds much like the word doeslike air slowly escaping through a hole," says Rubin. . Yes, they do. There he was. They are among the smallest of birds. But there is a lot more to it. Find more hit / punch words, 1. used to express derision, disapproval 2. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative), laughter, this is usually an evil sounding laugh. Reactions to this behavior may range from tolerance (the dominant wolf standing over the submissive wolf) to mortal attack, particularly in the case of a trespassing alien wolf. These howls can also be identified as a way to warn other packs in the area that they are stepping into a territory that has already been claimed by another. The sound of a leaking faucet (Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Womp. Besides cats, few other animals produce purr-alike sounds. They most often travel in a trot (equivalent to a human jog), either a side trot or a direct register trot. The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future. used often in the cartoon series "the Simpsons"), interjection used to attract attention, also: yahoo, the sound of wind (in the poem "the night wind", by Eugene Field: " For the wind will moan in its ruefullest tone: 'Yoooooooo! To make a succession of slight sharp snapping noises: a fire crackling in the wood stove. goose), 2. car-horn, bird vocalization: the cry of an owl, also: hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo, twit twoo, 1. monkey vocalization, also: ook, hoo hoo hoo hoo, oo oo oo, 2. the sound of wind, 3. the sound of a ghost (2 and 3: in the poem "The congo" by Vachel Lindsay "Like the wind. Matthew Reynolds' answer to Acoustics: Do high frequency sounds dissipate less in air than low frequency sounds? What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? Alderleaf Wilderness College: Wold Tracks & Sign. ", genus Pyrrhocorax of birds in the Corvidae (crow) family. medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. Find more explosions. The physics behind the warbling wolf was first explained by C. V. It is not very often that they do so. Popular Science, Nocturnal bird of prey. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. ah (or ahhhhhhhhhh) - a sound that expresses relief or relaxation aha - the sound we make when we discover something (Example: Aha, there are my keys!) What is error code E01-5 on Toyota forklift. This large animal is a controversial pet that may make a great companion for one person but be troublesome-or even dangerous-for another. rev2023.3.3.43278. For a wolf, submission can be in two forms. to pluck a string instrument, or to suddenly drop. Find more explosions. More cat sounds, a fast rhythmic ballroom dance of Latin-American origin with a basic pattern of three steps and a shuffle. More rain sounds, Sound of a beating heart. imitative origin, bird vocalization, cry of an owl. also: muahaha, muhaha, interjection. bullfrog vocalization (When the fireflies come by Jonathan London). Word imitating the sound of the side-drum and used for music pieces, especially in opera, of a military-march character. Hissing sound made by dinosaur or giant lizard. Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers, 2012). Replaced with schlikt during the period he was left without the adamantium covering on his bones. Armani is a 22 year old leopard. when used after pulling a naughty prank. Find more explosions. They use them to communicate or express their feelings. intensity grows by adding ha's. KKAKKA
A short, irregular curve or twist, as in writing or drawing. Sound words, also known as onomatopoeia, can make a poem or piece of writing appeal to the sense of hearing. Adult female red wolves weigh 40 to 75 pounds, while males weigh from 50 to 85 pounds. Growling asserts dominance, and is used to warn animals encroaching on wolves. Spelling the long vowel sound /i/ i-e, igh, y, ie. by Dr. Seuss) 3. human exclamation uttered when scared or distressed. It is normally accompanied with a saying such as "god that's cute" while she unknowingly destroys the property of others when checking things out. Wolves howl because they are sending a long distance message to other wolves and sometimes also talking to a wolf right next to them at the same time. [3] He used simultaneous measurements of the vibrating string and the vibrating body of the cello, to show that the warbling sound is caused by an alternation of two different types of string vibration. Created By Olivia Brown. In daylight, perhaps it just catches your ear and makes you tilt your head. It is migratory, wintering in the southernmost USA and Central America. More dog vocalizations, this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. Calves separated from their mothers will bellow when they want to be fed, and the sound of calling calves stimulates milk production in cows. More cat sounds, sound made by murlocs (creatures in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) World of Warcraft. Try our interactive game to practice the sounds they make at: Wikipedia, sound of a coyote howling ("Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico", by Verna Aardema), sound of a trumpet ("the ceremonial band" by James Reeves, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett), to make a series of light striking sounds, sound of a woodpecker rapping with its beak on a tree Lucy Cousins children's book, bird species name, especially the eastern wood pewee. The main call is a loud "currawong", which gives the bird its name. Low growls are often used by the alpha male and the beta female. "HOHN! On the other side, the lowest in the rankings would hold the tail almost between their legs. Why do wolves howl at night, and what makes it quite an eerie sound? Audio recording of an American alligator, Everglades National Park in Florida. A wolf may growl at intruding wolves or predators, or to indicate dominance. 2. wolf: ouuu. All of it evokes primeval fears of darkness and teeth in the night, creeping footfalls deadened in the snow, and the snarl you hear before you die. [2] A wolf tone is hard for the player to control: instead of a solid tone it tends to produce a thin surface sound, sometimes jumping to the octave of the intended note. A wolf tone, or simply a "wolf",[1] is an undesirable phenomenon that occurs in some bowed-string instruments, most famously in the cello. Hiss - the sound an angry cat makes. A social howl is used to locate one another, rally together and possibly just for fun. On some occasions, they can combine the various types of sound. This word is thought to be of imitative origin. Linear Algebra - Linear transformation question. The song of the Northern Flicker is a loud wick wick wick wick or (according to some sources) a squeaky flick-a, flick-a as in its name. Find more explosions. 1. loud ringing metallic sound. Different types of nonvocal sounds include: Bill drumming, often on a hollow surface to produce greater resonance and volume. sounds of busy city horns (cars) MAD magazine, Exclaimation of dismay, commonly used, and originaly created by the Peanuts gang by Charles Schulz. similar in flavor to "har har", but more old fashioned and more hick, highly attractive or pleasing, exclamation to express joy derived from the prospect of eating tasty food, to destroy or kill by or as if by shooting, medical human electronic hit electric shock therapy heart attack. 3. voice: Song a resonating, ethereal "da-vee-ur, vee-ur, veer, veer," descending slightly in pitch. Does a summoned creature play immediately after being summoned by a ready action? Hence, dogs are believed to inherit most of their abilities including the language of communication from wolves. An older device on cellos was a fifth string that could be tuned to the wolf frequency; fingering an octave above or below also attenuates the effect somewhat, as does the trick of squeezing with the knees.[6][7]. They are named after the sound rice krispies make when they are dropped in a bowl of milk 2. the "sound" of someone's pride being hurt. "snikt" in the Marvel comic books is the written sound of super hero Wolverine's claws popping. The definition of Sound is the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium. Usually, "heh" is a quiet laughing sound, not laughing out loud. Bill snaps or clacks, often from aggressive behavior. The position of the tube must be adjusted so that the short section of string resonates exactly at the frequency at which the wolf occurs. interjection used to express exuberant delight or triumph, Sound of a loose belt in a car engine Cartalk, the traditional cry of a cowboy, often as an expression of positive excitement, similar to yahoo, a short, sharp cry of a dog. Their legs are long, and they walk at about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) per hour, but can reach speeds of 35 mph during a chase. On the other side, a wolf that senses fear would flatten his ears behind the head. Find more chewing noises, monkey vocalization, also: ook, hoo hoo hoo hoo, sound uttered by someone who is punched in the stomach. From the children's book Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Womp. Phoneme awareness specifically refers to a child's knowledge that the basic . Gaits: Wolves are built to travel long distances. If two wolves have a disagreement, they may show their teeth and growl at each other. I am satisfied with 80% accurate independent productions before I move on to the . also: humpf, hmpf, exclamation used to express joy, approval, or encouragement. see also: neener, neener; nyah, nyah / nya, nya, police traffic siren tone alarm car automotive, interjection, typically used to taunt, ridicule, or boast in a childish manner. sound of rapping, knocking, or explosive. from: the original word, meaning "to catch the breath convulsively and audibly (as with shock)" is not directly imitative, name of lizard species, comes from Malay word "gekoq", imitiative of its call. The common yow-wow-wow-wow sounds more like an owl than a canid, and the scream-howl sounds less like a fox than the soundtrack to a nightmare. A wolf pup greets a more dominant adult pack member. In the book all caps GRRRAKKA
According to Coren, when sounds are between 3,000 and 12,000 Hz in frequency, dogs' ears are far more sensitive than ours. Only a heavy object can thud. More cat sounds, cat vocalization, as used in James Joyce's Ulysses. In some cases, words that describe animal sounds are examples of onomatopoeia, words that mimic the sounds they describe. explosion. In fact, 98% of DNA is the same between these two species. We dont know how much behavioral information a wolf howl carries, but we know they advertise their pack in their howls and that each wolf has its own individual voice just like a person. Wiktionary, sound of a washing machine , "[Aredelia] found Starling in the warm laundry room, dozing against the slow rump-rump of a washing machine." Also: Tshww, PHCKSHIIIIiooW Reddit, The sound of a lightsaber being shoved into a door to melt it (Star Wars movies), sound uttered to get a person's attention without alerting others, to tell a secret for example. While it has been said[by whom?] "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" used to be the slogan in Alka Seltzer commercials for many years. Often, squeaks or hisses signify that a rat is afraid or in pain. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Also: nnnnnnnn Reddit, bird , automobile horn, or computer generated tone. The name is derived from its call, a shrill "kittee-wa-aaake, kitte-wa-aaake", sound of a punch/hit during a fight. "you shouldn't leave your wallet lying around like thatYoink!". Also, It allows those that have found potential food sources to call the other wolves in the pack to come help them. Receive information about animals, environment, nature and our planet. Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. Rattlesnakes receive their name for the rattle located at the end of their tails. [4][5] by @BioExpedition, Sound whimpers, barks, howls, and growls, Special Scents Urine, pheromones, and scats. Turn you. Find more weapon sounds. also a name for small birds, such as the warbler, quick repeated sounds (by birds or humans), 1. a person who chatters 2. common name for bird species, see babbler, any of several small North American oscine birds (genus Poecile of the family Paridae) that are related to the titmice. Etymonline: 1520s, replacing M.E. Google Docs add-on. A mother whimpers to show her willingness to cater and provide for the needs of her pups. But what about purring? The sound is what sensory science nuts call modulating taste, and the past few years have seen a boom in research in this area. It is easy to tell how communicative a wolf can be because of what is observed in dogs. What's the word for the sound of snow sliding down a roof? Sound produced by horn on antique automobiles such as Ford Model-A ref1, ref2, interjection used to express surprise, triumph, or derision, aristocratic sounding laughter, or kind of a hick laugh, laughter, not really different from the ordinairy hahaha, but this one includes an attempt to capture the breath before the burst of laughter (ahh-), interjection used in hailing (to call or greet) a ship, as in "ship ahoy", dog barking (Doggies by Sandra Boynton)
(I love that quote and nearly called my wolf howl PhD thesis that, but apparently it wasnt scientific enough, so instead you get Improving individual identification of wolves (Canis lupus) using the fundamental frequency and amplitude of their howls: a new survey method.). sound of a guitar, or of a bow (and arrow), to touch lightly, or to play with. Each wolf has a slightly different sound which is why other pack members know they are being called. Verbal way of sticking your tongue out or laughing at someone. Give an example sentence, and you're likely to get more productive suggestions. Humans happen to be quieter at that time and more likely to be listening so we think of howls as a night time occurrence. 2. nonvocal suction sound in some languages, 3. to talk noisily or rapidly. dry hit, such as when a wooden baseball bat hits a baseball. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative), construction equipment machine heavy engine, drumming sound. 2) Snoopy: It's not the things that go 'bump' in the night that scare me. or gotcha! The sound of sticking your tongue out. sound of an explosion. from: Find more hit/ punch words, sound something liquidy and unappetizing hitting a dinner plate, (noun) jargon or highly intricate language that is hard to understand or incomprehensible. Wikipedia, to emit a deep breath, sometimes expressing weariness, Used to express amazement, shock, and excitement, due to it being a common outcome when one types random letters on a keyboard. Theres a nice answer on why lower sounds carry better at distance here: Matthew Reynolds' answer to Acoustics: Do high frequency sounds dissipate less in air than low frequency sounds? the "sound" of light reflecting off shiny expensive objects, such as diamonds. Besides cuddling and playing, wolves would also sleep together in groups. Nevertheless, a wolf produces other forms of sound like growling, whimpering, and howling. Video: Clip 1, Clip 2, Clip 3. interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: woops, whoops, interjection expressing pain or displeasure, Fox vocalization. Find more explosions. Find more explosion words 2. verb for the sound produced by the (male) bittern, a bird species, to attract the females and establish their territory. grunted the boxer when punched in the gut). As a verb: to move very quickly, especially while making a high pitched sound. Can wolves purr? There are two levels of submissive behavior: active and passive. They will often try to move forward in a group but these growls are reminders of where they rank. Body Positions and Movements and Facial Expressions. However, to do so, it must find an unoccupied territory and a member of the opposite sex with which to mate. Find more hit/ punch words, When the fracture of a weak snow layer causes an upper layer to collapse, making a whumpfing sound. TheCrosswordSolver, interjection used to express amazement, joy, or surprise, monkey vocalization, also: hoo hoo hoo hoo, the sound produced by a large brass instrument. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? TikTok - trends start here. Find more hit / punch words. Draufgnger. tubular wind instrument, or the act of whistling, cry of an owl. The active submission has evident actions like muzzle licking, crouching, and tail tucking. Some of those are eerie, but I would say the pup howls are adorable. Find more hit / punch words, sound of a coin put into a vending machine (from the graphic novel "Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth", ref), 1. bird : the peculiar sound of a brooding hen 2. It's characterized by severe coughing spells that end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in, bird species name, the tallest North American bird, an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound and call, interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: oops, woops, a sibilant sound, or a swift movement or flow, to beat, strike. Sound of a pizzicato violin (Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Womp. AKKA
"to bleep" often means "to mask inappropriate language on television or radio". In extreme cases, a "stuttering" or "warbling" sound is produced, as in the sound example. [closed], We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. KnowYourMeme, Sounds made by a front loader (Diggers go by Steve Light, all caps in the book SKWEE BRRUMM BRRUMM SKOOOOOO SKOOOOO), smart blow as with the open hand. A hissing or bubbling sound. Possibly imitative, sound of an old dial telephone. They are headstrong and aggressive, and they can be downright ferocious. A wolf's favorite time to howl is the quiet hours of dusk, usually between about 7pm and midnight depending on latitude. Also, the male and female wolves are often the pioneers in unoccupied territory. also: hoo hoo, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo, member of native S. African race. interjection used to express disbelief or exasperation. Vowel teams are two vowels that work together to make one sound. She says that this expression is often used within her group of motorcycling friends, usually in connection with novice riders, although it may be in use more widely across the UK. Find more chewing noises, to chew noisily. from: 1. blowing on hot soup 2. flatulence (fart) 3. air running out of a tire, Sounds of a lightsaber (Star Wars movies) Reddit, name for a family of passerine birds (fringilla), whose call is often written as "fink fink", "pink pink", or "spink spink" about this bird. We might say the sound a dog makes is "woof," but dogs can actually make many sounds. When a wolf is whining, it usually indicates friendly and playful behavior. interjection used to ask for confirmation or repetition or to express inquiry ; used especially in Canadian English in anticipation of the listener's or reader's agreement, sound of someone hitting the floor after falling, (probably of imitative origin) a flourish of brass instruments. also: hooray, this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. What's a better word for "cowardly", that doesn't sound like name-calling? e.g. in order to be less offensive. Cartalk, 1. to make a light clinking or tinkling metallic sound, 2. to rhyme or sound in a catchy repetitious manner 3. brief musical tune to mark the beginning of a show or segment of a show, sound of palm-muted power chords on an electric guitar. roaring with laughter is in response to something absolutely hilarious, sound of deep prolonged cry ("Garfield", Jim Davis), dog barking. may be of imitiative origin, 1. It works in the same way as a tuned-mass damper, often used to reduce vibration of bridges or tall buildings. this bird is a flycatcher. More rain sounds. about this bird. Wolf. Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? Less dominant wolves exhibit submissive behavior by holding their tails down and often lower their bodies while pawing at the higher ranking wolves. Sound of a canine syphoning drink from high-velocity hydropneumatic system, or sprinkler. Soon, they are taught the more effective types of communication to use though. Cattle will make noises if they are hungry or stressed. Usually this is done within the pack to try to get something in motion. 2. to talk loudly, raucously, or coarsely. about this bird. Passive submission, on the other hand, is a reaction a wolf shows with the rear part of the body. Each wolf has a unique howl. English Translation. Willard Bohn, Modern Visual Poetry, sound of a karate chop. It happens when the pitch of the played note is close to a particularly strong natural resonant frequency of the body of the musical instrument. "An Investigation into the Techniques for Controlling Cello Wolf-Tones". Maori language name Korimako. It is rumored that howling wolves during the day means they are rabid. As a social group, there are rules wolves follow to ensure order among them. It can be a signal that it is time for the pack to move on from a certain area. from: Find more hit/ punch words, sound of a horse, walking (from "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" Often pronounced in a nasal voice. about this bird, 1. the sound of a hit or punch. also: prr. Urban dictionary, Fox vocalization. All caps in the book CHUG CHUGCHUG CHUGCHUG MMMMOOOOSH), CHUGGA chugga chugga CHUGGA chugga chugga CHOO CHOOOOOOO, steam engine or train. ref, sound of a fiddle ("the ceremonial band" by James Reeves, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett), sound of rain (from Mr. Brown can moo, can you? sarcastic, as if sarcastically saying "very funny." in the media: Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. Voice: Song is two rough, whistled notes, "fee-bee" with the second note rasping or with a stuttered, more whistly second note "fee-b-be-bee." I could hear the wolf's paws thudding against the ground close behind me. Urine, scats, and pheromones are ways wolves send information to other wolves. The dominant male and female are in charge of the pack. (Yahoo Answers, 1, 2), to rove or pillage for spoils. For instance, "we got a lot of whumpfing today", or "the snowpack whumpfed like rolling thunder just before it released and caught us." For example, when a wolf is ready to mate with another wolf, it displays passive submission. Just like a wolf would have done during the day, it can make the howling sound at night (when the moon is up). 1. to peep or chirp, as a chick does. The most common ones include howls, growls, whines, and barks. now universally pronounced 'chuff'. Do roots of these polynomials approach the negative of the Euler-Mascheroni constant? Almost all rat vocalizations are undetectable by the human ear because they are ultrasonic. In Doctor Who comic strips, the sound of the Tardis is represented as vworp! about this bird, signature laugh of cartoon character Elmer Fudd, (automotive) sound of a bad bearing in the timing belt tensioner, signature laugh of cartoon character Daffy Duck, often uttered when Daffy has to escape from someone he has just pulled a prank on, Sound of a lightsaber swinging through the air in Star Wars movies. The click train sequences pass through the melon, which . about this bird, (Psophodes olivaceus) bird species found in eastern Australia. To communicate dominance, they carry their tails high and stand tall. Sounds Animals Make. On the other side, wolves from outside the pack would know that an area is occupied by other wolves. Dialing 9 is "sssssinda." A dictionary of onomatopoeia (sound words) and words of imitative origin in the English language. Other frequent sounds include deep croaks and a wolf whistle about this bird. Find more hit/ punch words, sound of a helicopter. Their usual mode of travel is to trot, which they do at various speeds, generally between 8 to 10 miles (12.8 to 16 kilometers) per hour. :o) Danisa . Wolves use body language to convey the rules of the pack. Indicating their location to other pack members. Often duplicated or triplicated (haw haw or haw haw haw), an audible effort to force up phlegm from the throat, 1. bray of a donkey, 2. loud coarse laugh. For similar sounding terms, see, Last edited on 20 December 2022, at 02:03, "How to Tame Annoying Howling Wolf Tones", "On the "Wolf-note" of the Violin and Cello", "Versuche zur Entstehung des Wolfs bei Violininstrumenten", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wolf_tone&oldid=1128425325. The sound of heavy paws padding on the stairs. from: Find more hit/ punch words, footsteps of someone who does not fully lift feet off the ground while walking (old / injured), sound of swimming ("Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico", by Verna Aardema), command to be quiet, often paired with holding the index finger vertically against the lips, sound of a punch. Other times, a bark is necessary to indicate aggression or protection to prevent invaders from their territory. Wolves mark their territories with urine and scats, a behavior called scentmarking. (More about geckos). This word is used to describe the sounds made by several animals, including a bull, a deer, a moose and a rhinoceros. Phonological awareness is a term used to describe the child's generic understanding that spoken words are made up of sounds. To hum or sing softly. The omega wolf is the lowest ranking one of all in a pack. about this bird, passerine bird (Pitangus sulphuratus) found in southern Texas and middle and south america. Unlike cats, for instance, they don't express their joy by purring. More rain sounds, name of bird species (Spiza americana). Blam is also the title of a Roy Lichtenstein painting. Sound of a bass-guitar. from this book: Click here for more train sounds, Pokemon Black and White Vol 7 Kusaka & Yamamoto, "Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema, Blogpost about the difference between mlem and blep, Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Womp. Common name for auto rickshaw, imitative of the sound of the small two-stroke engine (thailandtuktuk.net). Often pronounced in a nasal voice. Tweets
to breathe with difficulty usually with a whistling sound, exclamation of astonishment or relief making a whistling sound, a quick puff or slight gust especially of air, odor, gas, smoke, or spray, to utter a low somewhat shrill protracted sound, horse vocalization, to neigh especially in a low or gentle way, bird species noted for its call. The wolf shows dominance by carrying its tail high to stand. Police often use the siren intermittently. Dyslexia, originally called word-blindness, is a neurobiological condition describing the failure to read words and letters affecting an estimated 10-20 percent of schoolchildren, depending on whom you ask.