How to say "high-pitched" in Japanese

• 甲高いかんだかいCommon
  i-adjectiveCovers the general sense of 'high-pitched': any sound that is high and piercing, whether a voice, a whistle, or an alarm. The nuance is a sharp, penetrating shrillness that grates on the ear.
  ある男おとこが甲高かんだかい声こえで何なんか不平ふへいを言いっていた。↗

  A man was complaining of something in a sharp voice.
• 黄色いきいろいJLPT N5approx.Common
  i-adjectiveLiterally 'yellow', this is a figurative way to say a voice is high-pitched: shrill and squeaky, like excited shrieking. It applies to voices only; for other high-pitched sounds, 甲高い is the word.

「甲高い」 is the general word for any high, piercing sound; 「黄色い」, literally 'yellow', describes a shrill, squeaky voice and is not used for other high-pitched sounds.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 甲高いかんだかいhigh-pitched
• 甲走ったかんばしったshrill
• 黄色いきいろいhigh-pitched (voice)
• 高いたかいhigh-pitched