The ephemeral character of sounds within landscapes has significance for landscape preservation, protection, and design. Sound and sound-scapes are characterised by their continuous shifts and long-term changes, which are quite different to any static view. This paper intro-duces a semantic characterisation of soundscapes for landscape analysis, and its translation into an application for smartphones, Soundscape Characterisation Tool (SCT), to expand and complement visual approaches in consultation and dialogue with stakeholders. The SCT is presented as a place-related and semantic tool and is discussed through a critical review of its practical application in three case studies linked to the Swedish Transport Administration planned works to expand either road or railway networks. Through the practical application of the SCT, this research advocates for the development of a new sonic vocabulary in spatial planning and design that seeks to engage people and make site-specific information available, understandable, and meaningful for all stakeholders involved.