| 100% | PUN | 3 | Clever use of similar sounding words to make a joke |
| 39% | PRONOUNCE | 9 | Make the sound of a word in a particular way |
| 38% | NEE | 3 | Word used to indicate the family name of a married woman |
| 38% | GRAMMAR | 7 | Rules of a language, how to use sentences, words |
| 38% | DECIBEL | 7 | Unit used to measure the intensity of a sound |
| 38% | MUTE | 4 | Device used to muffle the sound of a musical instrument |
| 38% | TEALEAF | 7 | One of many used to make a beverage |
| 37% | EVER | 4 | Word used with "more" to make a Taylor Swift album |
| 37% | SDK | 3 | Set of tools used to make a software: Abbr. |
| 37% | BLEEP | 5 | Sound used to censor a bad word on television |
| 37% | TYPE | 4 | Use a keyboard to make words appear on a screen |
| 36% | NECK | 4 | Word used on both sides of "and" to make a common phrase meaning "a close contest," that has its origins in horse racing |
| 36% | APHERESIS | 9 | Loss of a sound at the start of a word, as "opossum" to "possum" |
| 36% | CORNEDBEEF | 10 | Something to make a hash of |
| 36% | POTATO | 6 | Something to make a hash of? |
| 35% | ANAGRAM | 7 | Transposing letters to make a new word |
| 35% | GROAN | 5 | Make a sound of pain |
| 35% | GASP | 4 | Make a sound of shock |
| 35% | GASP | 4 | Make a sound of fright |
| 35% | NOISY | 5 | Making a lot of sound |
| 35% | THATSHALF | 9 | With 42-Across, encouraging words to someone making a good effort, and an apt description of this puzzle's circled letters |
| 35% | MOCK | 4 | Word used with 13a to mean a simulation of it |
| 35% | EMPTY | 5 | Containing nothing, or a word that sounds like the initials of the answers to the starred clues |
| 35% | SHUSH | 5 | Make a "Be quiet!" sound to |
| 34% | READTHEROOM | 11 | “Did you really think this was an appropriate time to make a joke?” |
| 34% | WHISTLING | 9 | Forcing air through your lips to make a sound |
| 34% | BIRDS | 5 | *Feathered friends ... or a word used with 22d to refer to a child-friendly explanation of human reproduction |
| 34% | HELLO | 5 | Word to use when answering a telephone |
| 34% | WASTE | 5 | Fail to make use of |
| 34% | WASTES | 6 | Fails to make use of |