What is an Onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it is describing: boom, pop, hiss, for example. As an examiner I see pupils using onomatopoeia a lot in their creative writing essays. I would advise you not to overuse this technique and never use it just to "tick a box". Many pupils believe that if they use every literary method - metaphor, repetition, alliteration, personification etc. - they will gain higher marks. They seldom do as using so many methods just looks clumsy, overused and often irrelevant. Oh, and if you have to use onomatopoeia don't write it in capital letters with lots of exclamation marks after it: only Year 7s should do this.

A word we associate with describing a sound, especially and in particular, terms that bring sounds into a level of physicality, like pop or bang!

A word that aurally reproduces or represents its meaning; 'pop', 'buzz', 'ding' are pure examples of the term but the English language is also capable of a playful suggestiveness, such as 'stretch' and 'lengthen', where the elongation of the vowel resonance subtly evokes the word's meaning.

The naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound. For example, pop and bang!

This is the process of using a word the phonetically imitates, suggests or resembles the sound of what it describes. For example: buzz, hiss, clack or animal noises such as chirp or moo.

Onomatopoeia is a type of word that describes sound. For example: POP, crack, bang. The word sounds similar to the sound it is describing.

Onomatopoeia is word that names a sound, but also sounds like that sound/noise. For example, 'bang', 'pop' and 'splat' are all onomatopoeic because they sound like the noises the words are describing.

the naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds (as "buzz" or "hiss") : the use of words whose sound suggests the sense (as for poetic effect)

A word which sounds like the noise itself, e.g bang, cuckoo

Hi Dolores

An Onomatopoeia is a word that describes a sound and when you say it, it actually sounds like the noise. An example of an onomatopoeia would be 'pop' or 'bang' or 'thump.' As you say them, they make the sound they represent.

Thanks.

Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.

It is when a word sounds like the noise being described e.g. Whoosh, bang, crash...

An onomatopoeia is a language feature, often known as a 'sound word.' The word represents or mimics the sound it makes: 'snap, crackle, pop, bang, fizz, crash, thud...'

Hi, Dolores! Onomatopoeia is a literary device that is used to describe sounds. Words like "Boom!", "crash!", "splat" or "drip" are just some examples.

Onomatopoeia is when a word is spelt like it sounds. For example: bang, crash, drip, sizzle, snap.