[klysm]

Silent? I think they are the exact opposite. I experienced a very very minor earthquake in New England and it sounded like a truck roaring down the road

[DoreenMichele]

I've been in two significant earthquakes. I don't recall hearing anything either time.

I think it probably depends on a lot of factors?

[nraf]

There was an earthquake in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year and a common theme (myself included) was thinking a car had rammed into the house.

[Aerbil313]

I was 150 or so kms away from the Turkey earthquake this year which martyred 50,000+. It was big. We shaked in the 2nd floor of our house. Some people in the same room heard a very loud noise it while others didn’t. I didn’t. I guess it’s just below the average audible frequency range.

[victorbjorklund]

I was in the earthquake in the balkans last year and didnt hear anything. And while I wasnt in the center everything in the apartment was shaking and some stuff fell down.

[totallywrong]

Personally I've gone through a number of small quakes in different countries and don't remember any sound at all.

[okaram]

I think they can vibrate at different frequencies, and so some can be at frequencies lower than we can hear