吵 (chǎo) can be a verb ('to quarrel' or 'to make noise') or an adjective ('noisy'). For quarreling, 吵 is the general everyday verb; 吵架 emphasizes the act of having a quarrel, and 争吵 is more formal/written. For noise, 吵 describes annoying sounds; 闹 (nào) suggests commotion or trouble, and 嘈杂 (cáo zá) is a literary term for cacophonous noise.