What is Semantic Noise?
Semantic noise, one form of communication noise, is a disconnect between the signifier of a sign (e.g., the printed letters "Hg") and what the sign is intended to convey (e.g., the chemical element mercury).Semantic noise occurs when the sender of a message has an insufficient shared frame of reference with the intended recipient. For example, a pet-owner who throws a ball while the pet is not looking might point across the yard at the thrown ball and say "Over there, boy! Get the ball!" Lacking a shared frame of reference, the dog in question stares at the wagging finger, rather than at the ball to which the finger points.