What is an Onomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech, or words and phrases, that sound like their meaning. An example is “buzz.” When we picture a bee in our minds, the sound that the bee makes sounds similar to the word for it: “buzz.” Other examples of onomatopoeia include “ding dong” or “boom!”

An onomatoepoeia is a word or phrase indicating a sound of some description has been made, e.g. CRASH, BANG, BOOM

Onomatopoeia is a word that represents a sound. An example would be Bang! or Snap! They help elevate language beyond the actual words on a page by creating more vivid imagery with their sensory effects.

It is when we form words from how things sound. For example, buzzing from the buzz sound that the bees make.

When words sound like the noise being described such as:

Crash

Boom

Splash

Bzzz

Poof

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

Hello Dolores!

Onomatopoeia is the use of words that make the sound of the thing they describe.

Try saying the word 'sigh' aloud and feel how similar it feels to an actual sigh.

Or listen to the message notification sounds on your phone. Do some of them actually sound like the word 'ping'?

When you cough, notice how the hard 'c' at the start of the word echoes the sharp sound at the beginning of a real-life cough.

Feel how the soft sounds in 'whisper' reflect the gentle sounds you would use to talk to someone in a quiet voice.

In a text, onomatopoeic words can bring a scene to life, helping readers imagine sounds as if they can actually hear them. In a poem about rain on a roof, for example, words like 'pitter-patter' and 'drip' can make someone feel as if they're experiencing that rain directly.

This is particularly useful for making dramatic points. Compare the following sentences:

"Bang! He closed the door.''

"He closed the door suddenly."

Which one has more impact? The first sentence could make the reader react strongly - or even jump in surprise - as it mirrors the abrupt sound of a door being slammed. 

We come across many, many examples of onomatopoeia in our daily lives. For instance: click, zap, tick-tock, knock, buzz, moo, woof, hiss, pop, boom, hum, giggle, splash, slosh, whoosh and crackle.

Can you think of other examples?

A word used to show a noise for example: crash or bang

An onomatopoeia refers to the practice of naming something based on a phonetic (spoken) imitation of a sound associated with it. It can also refer to a single word of this kind: Hiss is an onomatopoeia. 

Onomatopoeia is simply a word like "clap" which is the sound you make with your hands. So the sound of clapping is the same as the actual word.

It is a word that imitates the natural sound; example easy to remember is a sound of a cat 'meow'

Onomatopoeia is when words are used to mimic sounds. For example, the word "moo" is onomatopoeia for the sound a cow makes.

Onomatopoeia might look and sound like a Harry Potter spell, however it is not as complicated as it sounds. Put simply, onomatopoeia means a word that replicates a sound. Examples are the easiest way to understand this concept. For example, 'bang' is a word but when saying it also replicates a noise. The same can be said for 'snap', 'roar' or 'meow'. It doesn't even have to be a dictionary defined word, 'zzzz' to describe sleeping comes to mind.

It is words that sound like what they represent such as 'bang' and 'zip'.

A word that imitates a sound.