Film Music Vocabulary Worksheets

Press Print worksheet to match twelve film music terms, from score and cue to leitmotif, to their meanings.

A sample is on the sheet. What you type replaces it.

What you type stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to us.

NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Film music vocabularyscoresoundtrackthememotifleitmotifcueunderscorediegetic musicnon-diegetic musiccomposertheme songorchestrathe song people remember a showor film bythe main melody that returnsthrough a filmthe music created specially forone filmmusic the characters in the storycan heara big company of musicians whoperform as onea tune tied to one character,place or ideaa movie's audio side, or a releaseof its musicmusic only the audience hears,not the charactersthe smallest musical idea that canbe recognizedquiet music played under thespeech or actionsomeone whose work is writingnew musicone piece of the music, timed tostart at a set moment
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Film music vocabularyAnswer keyscoresoundtrackthememotifleitmotifcueunderscorediegetic musicnon-diegetic musiccomposertheme songorchestrathe song people remember a showor film bythe main melody that returnsthrough a filmthe music created specially forone filmmusic the characters in the storycan heara big company of musicians whoperform as onea tune tied to one character,place or ideaa movie's audio side, or a releaseof its musicmusic only the audience hears,not the charactersthe smallest musical idea that canbe recognizedquiet music played under thespeech or actionsomeone whose work is writingnew musicone piece of the music, timed tostart at a set moment
More options

Next step Next: movies word search

All 36 terms

The score 12

  • composer Someone whose work is writing new music. "The composer watched the film before writing a note."
  • cue One piece of the music, timed to start at a set moment. "The first cue begins as the door opens."
  • diegetic music Music the characters in the story can hear. "The band at the party is diegetic music."
  • leitmotif A tune tied to one character, place or idea. "Each time the dragon appears, its leitmotif sounds in the horns."
  • motif The smallest musical idea that can be recognized. "A four-note motif runs through the whole chase."
  • non-diegetic music Music only the audience hears, not the characters. "The strings over the sunset are non-diegetic music."
  • orchestra A big company of musicians who perform as one. "A full orchestra recorded the last scene."
  • score The music created specially for one film. "The score for our class film was played on one keyboard."
  • soundtrack A movie's audio side, or a release of its music. "She plays the soundtrack on the drive to school."
  • theme The main melody that returns through a film. "The theme comes back on a solo flute at the end."
  • theme song The song people remember a show or film by. "Everyone hummed the theme song on the way out."
  • underscore Quiet music played under the speech or action. "A soft underscore sits beneath the two friends talking."
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Making the music 12

  • arranger Someone who adapts existing music for a new line-up. "The arranger turned the song into a march."
  • click track A recorded steady tick that holds everyone in tempo. "Each player heard the click track through headphones."
  • conductor The leader who beats time and guides the ensemble. "The conductor watched the screen and the players at once."
  • license Official permission to use someone's music. "The school paid for a license to use the song."
  • mix To blend separate recorded tracks into one. "They mix the music low so the words stay clear."
  • music supervisor The person who picks existing songs for scenes. "The music supervisor found an old song for the dance scene."
  • orchestrate To assign the notes of a piece to each instrument. "She will orchestrate the piano sketch for strings and brass."
  • production music Ready-made recordings a film can pay to use. "The student film used production music for its opening."
  • session musician A player hired for a recording, not a band member. "A session musician added the guitar part in one afternoon."
  • spotting Deciding where in a film the music will go. "At the spotting meeting they chose to leave the storm silent."
  • synchronize To make sound and picture match exactly in time. "They synchronize the drum hit with the slammed door."
  • temp track Borrowed music used while a film is being edited. "The editor cut the race to a temp track."

Music that tells the story 12

  • crescendo A steady swell from quiet toward full volume. "A crescendo builds as the ship comes into view."
  • dissonance Notes that clash and sound tense together. "Dissonance in the strings warns that something is wrong."
  • drone One low note held on and on under the music. "A drone hums beneath the scene in the cave."
  • dynamics The changing strength of sound within a piece. "A sudden change in dynamics made the audience jump."
  • fanfare A bold brass call that announces an arrival. "A fanfare greets the queen in the first scene."
  • montage Many brief shots in a row, often with music over them. "One song carries the training montage."
  • mood The emotional color of a scene, such as calm or eerie. "Slow piano chords set a sad mood."
  • ostinato A figure looped nonstop while other parts change. "A low ostinato ticks along like a clock."
  • sting A very brief burst of music that marks a moment. "A sharp sting lands as the lights go out."
  • suspense Edge-of-the-seat doubt about how things will turn out. "A single held note builds suspense on the stairs."
  • tempo The pace of the beat, quick or unhurried. "The tempo speeds up as the chase begins."
  • tremolo A rapid flutter on a single pitch. "Violins play a tremolo as the fog rolls in."

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-12. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day in two references: the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and the entry in the Cambridge Dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/). Diegetic music and non-diegetic music were read under diegetic, nondiegetic and non-diegetic. Where a dictionary has no entry or no sense of film music, the reference is an article of English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: Film score for cue; Motif (music) for motif; Spotting (filmmaking) and Film score for spotting; Temp track and Music supervisor for the terms they are named after; Incidental music for underscore; Click track, Production music and Sting (musical phrase) for the terms they are named after; Arrangement for arranger; Drone (sound) for drone; Montage (filmmaking) for montage; Diegetic music for the two kinds of music in a story. Cue, spotting, temp track and music supervisor have no dictionary sense of film music and rest on their articles alone. The answers under the list rest on the articles Film score, Soundtrack, Diegetic music, Leitmotif, Temp track and Arrangement. The sentence in quotation marks after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work

How it works

These film music vocabulary worksheets set twelve terms of the movie score against their meanings, in mixed order, to match. The first sheet covers the score. Two more sets: how the music is made and how it tells the story.

Read the full guide

Film music terms: score, theme, cue

Set opens on The score: score, soundtrack, theme, motif, leitmotif, cue, underscore, diegetic music, non-diegetic music, composer, theme song and orchestra. Making the music prints spotting, temp track, click track, orchestrate, arranger, conductor, session musician, synchronize, mix, music supervisor, production music and license.

Music that tells the story

The third set has mood, suspense, tempo, dynamics, crescendo, dissonance, ostinato, fanfare, sting, drone, tremolo and montage. Under the tool each term has a sentence from a made-up scene, such as "A low ostinato ticks along like a clock."

Questions and answers

What is the difference between a film score and a soundtrack?

A score is original music written to go with a film, in pieces called cues. The soundtrack is the recorded sound that runs with the pictures and, in everyday speech, an album of its music. Pop songs usually belong to the soundtrack, not the score.

What is the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic music?

Diegetic music belongs to the world of the story, so the characters hear it: a song on a car radio, for one. Its other name is source music. Non-diegetic music, such as the score, reaches the audience and never the people in the story.

What is a leitmotif in film music?

A short musical phrase that recurs and is tied to one person, place or idea. The spelling is a partly English form of the German Leitmotiv, which means leading motif.

What is a temp track?

An existing piece of music used while a film is edited, as a guide to the tempo, the mood or the atmosphere wanted in a scene. Before release it usually gives way to music composed for the film.

What is the difference between arranging and orchestration?

Arranging adapts an existing composition, and may change its harmony, melody or form. Orchestration is narrower: it only assigns the notes to instruments, for an orchestra, a concert band or another ensemble to perform.

More tools

Show 6 more

Browse Handwriting