klõps

Klõps is an Estonian noun describing a short, sharp sound produced by the engagement of a mechanism, such as a latch, switch, or camera shutter. It is an onomatopoeic word that is used both to imitate the sound and to refer to the moment of the action.

In everyday Estonian, klõps describes audible cues from mechanical devices and is commonly used in reference to the camera shutter or to the sound of a door latch. In computing and user interfaces, klõps denotes the action of clicking with a mouse or tapping a touchscreen; common phrases include "klõpsa" (to click) and "üks klõps" (one click). The word can also appear as a description of the event itself, for example when narrating a sound cue in a device.

Relation to similar terms: some speakers use "klikk" as a loanword from English to refer specifically to the act of clicking in digital contexts, while "klõps" more often evokes the sound or moment of engagement. The two terms are often interchangeable in everyday speech, though they carry slightly different connotations in technical writing.

Phonology and orthography: the word uses the Estonian vowel õ and ends with -ps, producing a concise, abrupt sound that mirrors the phenomenon it names.