Empty vessels make the most noise
Meaning: Those who know the least often talk the most.
Origin: The Boy in Shakespeare's Henry V (1599) says of the braggart Pistol that "the empty vessel makes the greatest sound" — already quoting a familiar saying. A hollow barrel rings loudly when struck, while a full one barely sounds, and so it is with those who talk most and know least. The popular attribution to Plato is unsupported.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Les tonneaux vides font le plus de bruit (literally: Empty barrels make the most noise)
- Spanish: Mucho ruido y pocas nueces (literally: Much noise and few nuts)
- Japanese: 空の樽が最も大きな音を立てる (Kara no taru ga mottomo ōkina oto wo tateru) (literally: Empty barrels make the loudest sound)
- German: Leere Fässer klingen hohl (literally: Empty barrels sound hollow)
More proverbs about Communication
- Still waters run deep — Quiet people often have great depth of character.
- Barking dogs seldom bite — People who make threats rarely carry them out.
- A picture is worth a thousand words — Visual information communicates more effectively than text.
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease — Those who complain the most get attention.
- It takes two to tango — Both parties are responsible in a conflict.
- United we stand, divided we fall — Strength comes from unity.
From our tongue twisters
- De kat krabt de krullen van de trap. — A 'kr' cluster drill — Dutch consonant pileups that beginners approach with dread.
- Als vliegen achter vliegen vliegen, vliegen vliegen vliegen achterna. — The same noun/verb homograph trap as the German version — vliegen does triple duty.
- 간장 공장 공장장은 장 공장장이고 된장 공장 공장장은 강 공장장이다. (Ganjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Jang gongjangjang igo, doenjang gongjang gongjangjang eun Gang gongjangjang ida.) — A 'gong/jang/gang' syllable storm — the two surnames (Jang/Gang) swap while the rest stay…