What is a Onomatopoeia?
Words that sound like the action they describe.
Examples
- Bloop
- Splash
- Growl
- Bam
- Screech
- Bang
- Chortle
- Tweet
- Whoosh
- Whiz
- Buzz
- Snap
Use Onomatopoeia to...
- Create rhythm
- Appeal to the reader’s senses
- Add texture
- Inject emphasis
Examples
“Hark, hark!
Bow-wow.
The watch-dogs bark!”
— William Shakespeare’s The Tempest
“How they clang, and clash, and roar!
What a horror they outpour
On the bosom of the palpitating air!”
— Edgar Allan Poe, The Bells
Mr. Brown can MOO! Can you?
— Dr. Seuss