In the communication process there are four different types of noise. Noise can be identified as anything in the process of communication that manages to interfere with the intended receiver getting and understanding the message properly.

Environmental/physical noise

This refers to anything external to the sender and receiver of a message that disrupts the sending and/or receiving of the message. Examples of this could be:

- a stereo playing loudly
- a phone ringing
- being seated a long way away from the speaker
- people chatting loudly around you
- cars driving or honking their horns

Physiological noise

This refers to a physical interference that can prevent a message getting through properly. This might include:

- hearing loss
- poor eyesight
- blindness
- memory loss

Psychological noise

This is a mental interference between sender and receiver. This might occur if feelings such as love, hatred or irritation distract one of the communicators, causing the message not to be conveyed or received accurately. There is psychological noise present if one of the communicators is daydreaming rather than paying proper attention. Emotional distress or relationship problems might affect someone and cause messages not to get through properly.

Semantic noise

This type of disruption in the communication process can happen when the sender and receiver have a different understanding of the same word or phrase, which causes them to apply meaning to words differently. This sort of semantic noise might occur if the sender and receiver speak or understand different dialects or languages. Alternatively, the communicator might be using specialized jargon or ambiguous words with several possible meanings.
Noise is unwanted electrical or electromagnetic energy that degrades the quality of signals and data. Noise occurs indigital and analog systems, and can affect files and communications of all types, including text, programs, images, audio, and telemetry.