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Onomatopoeia
What Is Onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia is a linguistic term used to describe words that imitate or evoke the sound of what they represent. Examples of onomatopoeic words include "buzz," "hiss," "meow," "splash," and "thump." These words are created by the use of phonetic sounds that closely resemble the actual sound of the object or action being described.Onomatopoeia is a common feature of many languages and can be found in literature, poetry, and everyday speech. The use of onomatopoeic words can help to create vivid imagery and enhance the sensory experience for the reader or listener.
Table of Contents
- Easy Examples of Onomatopoeia
- Real-Life Examples of Onomatopoeia
- Why Onomatopoeia Is Important
- Printable Test

Easy Examples of Onomatopoeia
A lot of onomatopoeic words relate to:
- bawl, belch, chatter, giggle, growl, grunt, mumble, murmur, whisper

- flap, flutter, fizz, hiss, swish, swoosh, waft, whiff, whoosh, whizz

- dribble, drip, drizzle, gurgle, plop, splash, sploosh, sprinkle, squirt

- bang, clang, clank, clap, clatter, click, clink, ding, dong, jingle, jangle, screech, slap, smack, smash, thud, thump

- baa, bark, buzz, cheep, chirp, cluck, meow, moo, neigh, oink, purr, quack, ribbit, tweet, warble
Real-Life Examples of Onomatopoeia
- The NASA humans-to-Mars program is all sizzle and no steak. (Aerospace engineer Robert Zubrin) ("Sizzle" sounds like steak frying.)
- When you put something on, you zip yourself into it, and you're secure in there. (Fashion designer L'Wren Scott) ("Zip" sounds like a zip being operated.)
- Love and a cough cannot be hidden. (Welsh poet George Herbert) ("Cough" sounds like a cough.)
- I could hear the sizzle of the sausage. (The noise itself)
- This sausage is a real sizzler. (An object)
- The sausage sizzled on the fire. (An action)
- If you tap the bottom, the cork will pop out the top. ("Pop" sounds like a cork existing a bottle.)
- If you tap your bottom, the bodyguard will pop out the room. (In this context, "pop" is not an onomatopoeic word.)
That aside, if you're analysing someone else's writing and they've used onomatopoeia, you ought to recognize it. This means you will need to spell "onomatopoeia." If you don't have access to a spellchecker, here's a tip: Trust yourself to get it right as far as the "p" and then write just the vowels in the word "comedian."
- If your writing might "fizzle," consider onomatopoeia to help it "sizzle."
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