diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useAudioEffects.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useAudioEffects.ts
index 479a88f..b571b7b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useAudioEffects.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useAudioEffects.ts
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ export function useAudioEffects({
   const wasHoveredRef = useRef(false);
   const wasActiveRef = useRef(false);
 
-  // Track if initial state sync is complete (skip audio on first render)
-  // User can't hover during mount, so any true state is stale
-  const didInitRef = useRef(false);
+  // Delay audio playback after mount/reset to avoid browser autoplay policy
+  // User can't hover during mount, so any true state within 100ms is stale
+  const [canPlay, setCanPlay] = useState(false);
 
   // Track which URLs we've already fetched to prevent duplicate fetches
   const lastFetchedHoverUrlRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
@@ -99,6 +99,18 @@ export function useAudioEffects({
   const [hoverAudioReady, setHoverAudioReady] = useState(false);
   const [clickAudioReady, setClickAudioReady] = useState(false);
 
+  // Enable audio playback after short delay to skip stale state at mount
+  // Any hover/active state within 100ms of mount is not from real user interaction
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setCanPlay(false);
+    wasHoveredRef.current = isHovered;
+    wasActiveRef.current = isActive;
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => setCanPlay(true), 100);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+    // Only reset on resetKey change, not on isHovered/isActive changes
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }, [resetKey]);
+
   // Initialize hover audio element - fetch with credentials for auth
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!hoverAudioUrl) {
@@ -242,15 +254,9 @@ export function useAudioEffects({
 
   // Play hover audio when hover starts (plays to completion, not interrupted)
   useEffect(() => {
-    // Skip audio on initial render - sync state only
-    // User can't hover during mount, so any true state is stale
-    if (!didInitRef.current) {
-      didInitRef.current = true;
-      wasHoveredRef.current = isHovered;
-      return;
-    }
-
+    // Only play if: canPlay is true, hover changed from false→true, audio is ready
     if (
+      canPlay &&
       isHovered &&
       !wasHoveredRef.current &&
       hoverAudioRef.current &&
@@ -265,18 +271,13 @@ export function useAudioEffects({
       });
     }
     wasHoveredRef.current = isHovered;
-  }, [isHovered, hoverAudioReady]);
+  }, [canPlay, isHovered, hoverAudioReady]);
 
   // Play click audio when active state begins
   useEffect(() => {
-    // Skip audio on initial render - sync state only
-    // Note: didInitRef is already set by hover effect due to effect ordering
-    if (!didInitRef.current) {
-      wasActiveRef.current = isActive;
-      return;
-    }
-
+    // Only play if: canPlay is true, active changed from false→true, audio is ready
     if (
+      canPlay &&
       isActive &&
       !wasActiveRef.current &&
       clickAudioRef.current &&
@@ -289,7 +290,7 @@ export function useAudioEffects({
       });
     }
     wasActiveRef.current = isActive;
-  }, [isActive, clickAudioReady]);
+  }, [canPlay, isActive, clickAudioReady]);
 
   // Manual click audio trigger
   const playClickAudio = useCallback(() => {
@@ -312,12 +313,10 @@ export function useAudioEffects({
     }
   }, []);
 
-  // Reset audio on key change (e.g., page navigation or element change)
+  // Stop audio on key change (e.g., page navigation or element change)
+  // Note: canPlay and refs are reset in the canPlay effect above
   useEffect(() => {
     stopAll();
-    wasHoveredRef.current = false;
-    wasActiveRef.current = false;
-    didInitRef.current = false; // Reset for new element
   }, [resetKey, stopAll]);
 
   return { playClickAudio, stopAll };