I wonder what is the difference between the three similar words which seems to me expressing the same meaning: shriek, scream, and shrill.
How can I tell them apart? I want to express the unpleasant high-pitch cry issued by a child.
UPDATE
Sorry for the confusion but one, I meant the usage in verb. And two, I want to express what the child in this video does in around 27 seconds or later. The video uses scream, but I only talk about what he does in 27 seconds or later and NOT talk about his shout which occurred before the point of 27 seconds, which I think is classified to scream.
Best Answer
A scream is always loud and may or may not be sudden.
If a scream is high in pitch it turns into a shriek.
A shriek is always loud, high in pitch, and is usually sudden.
Shrill is high in pitch.
Women's voices, not men's, are more usually characterised using shrill or shriek.
Both men and women scream.