Abstract Chladni figures are formed when particles scattered across a plate move due to an external harmonic force resonating with one of the natural frequencies of the plate. Chladni figures are precisely the nodal set of the vibrational mode corresponding to the frequency resonating with the external force. We propose a plausible model for the movement of the particles that explains the formation of Chladni figures in terms of the stochastic stability of the equilibrium solutions of stochastic differential equations.