No sound coming from AirPods when connected to my Mac

Hello LindaSeddon,

To help resolve this issue, restart your Mac. Restarting can help refresh the connection and software on your Mac and help resolve many issues like the one you're having: Shut down or restart your Mac

Next, follow the steps in this article to pair your AirPods to the Mac again: Use AirPods with your Mac - Apple Support

Pair your AirPods with your Mac

1. With your AirPods in their case, open the lid.

2. Press and hold either the setup button on the back of the case or the noise control button (on AirPods Max only) until the status light flashes white.

3. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click Bluetooth  in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

4. Tip: To make it easier to connect your AirPods, you can add the Bluetooth status icon or Sound control to the menu bar using Control Center settings.

5. Hold the pointer over your AirPods in the list of devices on the right, then click Connect.

6. If your AirPods support it, click Enable to be able to say “Hey Siri” to start using Siri with your AirPods.

7. If asked whether you want to improve Siri and Dictation, do one of the following:

* Share audio recordings: Click Share Audio Recordings to allow Apple to store audio of your Siri and dictation interactions from this Mac. Apple may review a sample of stored audio.

* Don’t share audio recordings: Click Not Now.

10. If you change your mind later and want to share or stop sharing audio recordings, you can turn the Improve Siri & Dictation option on or off in Privacy & Security settings. See Change Privacy & Security settings.

11. Note: You can remove the audio recordings from Apple servers whenever you like—see Delete Siri and Dictation history.

You can change your settings to connect your AirPods automatically or only when last connected to your Mac. See Change when your AirPods connect to your Mac.

Best Regards.