What is the sound of nails scratching a chalkboard called?
Does the high-pitched sound of nails scratching a chalkboard have a name?
I thought of "squeaking" or "screeching" but I don't think either of them correctly describes it.
Solution 1:
Writers tend to use the phrase nails on a chalkboard to describe the sound:
“The music of veteran pop singer Cliff Richard apparently is like nails on a chalkboard to hooligans.” [CNN]
Apparently, nobody has been able to capture the sound's singular power to excruciate in an onomatopoeia.
Solution 2:
I would call it chalkboard screech.