Last Updated on October 2, 2021
What Is Onomatopoeia? To help you understand what this literary device is and how it is used, this article provides detailed guidance on the definition and examples of Onomatopoeia, and how it can be used in a sentence.
Table of Contents
Definition of Onomatopoeia
The word onomatopoeia comes from the combination of two Greek words, onoma meaning “name” and poiein meaning “to make,” so onomatopoeia literally means “to make a name (or sound).” That is to say that the word means nothing more than the sound it makes. A dog’s bark sounds like “woof,” so “woof” is an example of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia can be used to describe the gears of machines working, the horn of a car honking, animals croaking or barking, or any number of other sounds.
Many onomatopoeic words can be verbs as well as nouns. Slap, for instance, is not only the sound that is made by skin hitting skin but also the action of hitting someone (usually on the face) with an open hand. Rustle is the sound of something dry, like paper, brushing together, but it can also indicate the action of someone moving papers around and causing them to brush together, thus making this noise.
Common Examples of Onomatopoeia
Many times, you can tell what an onomatopoeic word is describing based on letter combinations contained within the word. These combinations usually come at the beginning, but a few also come at the end. The following examples have been grouped according to how they are used.
Water Onomatopoeia Examples
Words related to water or other liquids often begin with sp- or dr-. Words that indicate a small amount of liquid often end in -le ( such as in sprinkle or drizzle). Water onomatopoeia examples include:
- bloop
- dribble
- drip
- drizzle
- splash
- spray
- sprinkle
- squirt
A poem by Australian poet Lee Emmett illustrates many onomatopoeia words related to water:
“water plops into pond
splish-splash downhill
warbling magpies in tree
trilling, melodic thrill
whoosh, passing breeze
flags flutter and flap
frog croaks, bird whistles
babbling bubbles from tap”
Vocal Onomatopoeia Examples
Onomatopoeia words are great ways to describe how a person sounds when they talk. Sounds that come from the back of the throat tend to start with a gr- sound, while sounds that come out of the mouth, through the lips, tongue and teeth, often begin with mu-. Examples of vocal onomatopoeia sounds include:
- ahem
- belch
- blurt
- chatter
- giggle
- growl
- groan
- grunt
- gulp
- gurgle
- eek
- moan
- mumble
- murmur
- squeal
- whimper
Collision Onomatopoeia Examples
Collisions can occur between two or more objects. Sounds that begin with cl- usually indicate collisions between metal or glass objects, and words that end in -ng are sounds that resonate. Words that begin with th- usually describe dull sounds such as soft but heavy things hitting wood or earth. Examples of these sound words include:
- bam
- bang
- clang
- clank
- clap
- clatter
- click
- clink
- crash
- crunch
- ding
- jingle
- knock
- screech
- slap
- smash
- thud
- thump
Air Onomatopoeia Examples
These words describe the sounds of air blowing through things or of things rushing through the air. Words related to air often start with wh-, include a “w”, or end with -sh. Examples of air onomatopoeia sounds are:
- flutter
- fisst
- fwoosh
- gasp
- swish
- swoosh
- waft
- whiff
- whoosh
- whizz
- whip
Animal Onomatopoeia Examples
Words related to animal noises often have long vowel sounds, such as “oo” or “ay.” If you’ve spent time in other countries, you may know that animals speak different languages too. Depending on where a chicken is from, for example, she might cluck-cluck, bok-bok, tok-tok, kot-kot, or cotcotcodet. English onomatopoeia words for animals noises are:
- arf
- bark
- bray
- buzz
- cheep
- chirp
- chortle
- cluck
- cock-a-doodle-doo
- cuckoo
- hiss
- honk
- howl
- purr
- ribbit
- tweet
- warble
Onomatopoeias are useful and auditory-stimulating words. Their power to evoke meaning lies in their mimicry of the sounds which they represent. Because the text has the limitation of conveying sensory details through the filter of imagination, writers must use onomatopoeia from time to time in order to convey more exact meaning.