Onomatopoeia /ˌɑːnəˌmætəˈpiːə/ is a literary device where a word imitates or resembles the sound it describes. Essentially, the word’s pronunciation mimics the natural sound associated with the object or action which it represents. Onomatopoeia commonly describes:

1. Impact sounds (e.g. boom, bang, crash, smash)
2. Animal sounds (e.g. meow, woof, buzz, roar)
3. Human sounds (e.g. giggle, whisper, sigh, murmur)
4. Mechanical sounds (e.g. beep, click, tick-tock, whirr)
5. Nature sounds (e.g. splash, rustle, patter, drip)
6. Movement sounds (e.g. swoosh, whoosh, zoom, flutter)

Onomatopoeia is used in everyday language as well as poetry to create a more immersive or expressive effect. Read on to see how onomatopoeic words are used and practice using them yourself.

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