sound familiar

/saʊnd ˈfəmɪliər/

phrase★Intermediate

informal

to remind someone of something they have heard or experienced before

His explanation of quantum physics sounds familiar, but I can't recall where I heard it.

The listener recognizes the information but can't pinpoint the source.

The plot of this movie sounds familiar—didn't we see something similar last year?

The speaker notices similarities between the current movie and a previous one.

💡

Often used when recalling information, stories, or experiences without remembering the exact source.

Collocations

sound familiar to meto recognize something as previously heard or experiencedsound familiar to youto ask if someone else recognizes the information

ring a bellphrase

to remind someone of something they've heard before

seem familiarphrase

to give the impression of being known or recognized

Use 'sound familiar' when you recognize something but can't recall the exact source.

Derived from the combination of 'sound' (to hear) and 'familiar' (known or recognized).

Commonly used in casual conversation to express recognition of something previously heard or experienced.

sound

to hear or perceive audibly

root

familiar

known or recognized

root

English Dictionary