ticking sound in engine

I have a ticking sound coming from the bronco 5.8 l engine. I tried using a stetascope(sp) to locate it around the rods but it does not seem to be coming from there. I can hear it more on the passengers side of the engine. I seem to hear it better from under the car than from the hood area. I am a woman who likes to know possibly what the problem is before I take it to a garage. tick tick tick, and it does speed up when i rev the engine it seems. Sometimes it sounds like an exhaust leak, but no odor or visual there.
thanks

you might be hearing the valves open and close due to a compression loss which means the valves are not seating right. Try some of that gas cleaner stuff in a bottle.It's supposed to clean up the soot left by the smoke. If it works and the valves seat right, You'll get better emissions and more power. I am no advertiser, but that's what it sounds like.

Could be a sticking lifter. Make sure your oil is good and not burnt. I've tried that Risolene oil treatment (in a yellow bottle) and it has helped me in a few situations where a lifter got stuck. It freed it up and no more tick from the lifter!

Get a muffler shop to test for an exhaust leak around the exhaust manifold area (should be free). The exhaust manifolds are notorious for leaking on these trucks. Hopefully it's not a leaking head gasket. Both make similar noises.