Use a visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted, use: > :set vb t_vb= < If you want a short flash, you can use this on many terminals: > :set vb t_vb=[?5h$<100>[?5l < Here $<100> specifies the time, you can use a smaller or bigger value to get a shorter or longer flash.