What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
laugh
Example
The comedian's jokes made everyone in the audience laugh. [laugh: verb]
Example
I love the sound of my baby's laugh. [laugh: noun]
cackle
Example
The old woman cackled as she told her spooky stories. [cackled: verb]
Example
The villain's cackle echoed through the dark castle. [cackle: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Laugh is much more commonly used than cackle in everyday language. Laugh is a versatile word that covers a wide range of contexts, while cackle is less common and has a more specific connotation.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between laugh and cackle?
While laugh is typically associated with a casual and informal tone, cackle is more likely to be used in a formal context, such as in literature or storytelling, to describe a character or situation.