Playful ways to use onomatopoeia

What is an onomatopoeia?

An onomatopoeia mimics the sound associated with that word. Use onomatopoeia to enrich your imagery by making your audiences hear the word you select to describe what’s going on. Instead of writing, “The bees flew around the garden” you can write, “The bees buzzed around the garden. And rather than writing, “The car sped by” you can write, “The car zoomed by.” See what a difference that makes? Onomatopoeia words make fantastic verbs.

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Some onomatopoeia words are more obvious than others. You can easily spot words like “meow” and “swish” because they are the exact sound described—just phonetically spelled out. Other words like “snort” or “tickle” still count, but subtly.

You can’t find all onomatopoeia words in the dictionary, though some make it there if enough people adapt the word into common speech. All sorts of writers make up their own words to describe specific sounds. In Ulysses, James Joyce created “tattarrattat” to describe the sound of someone knocking on the door. In Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Timothy Zahn created the word “snap-hiss” to describe the sound of a lightsaber igniting.

Examples of onomatopoeia in poetry

You could argue poets were the original masters of onomatopoeia. Since the phonetics of a poem are just as important as the content, onomatopoeia are perfect literary tools for poets to create vibrant soundscapes. Read these examples out loud and see for yourself.

From Langston Hughes’s The Weary Blues

“Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.
He played a few chords then he sang some more—
‘I got the Weary Blues
And I can’t be satisfied.
Got the Weary Blues
And can’t be satisfied—
I ain’t happy no mo
And I wish that I had died.’
And far into the night he crooned that tune.
The stars went out and so did the moon.”

From Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven

“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
‘Tis some visitor,’ I muttered, ‘Tapping at my chamber door—Only this and nothing more.’”

From Alfred Noyes’s The Highwayman

“Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear;
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?”

As you read those examples, did you hear the sounds described? The thumping, rapping, clattering, and tlotting add sensory elements to connect you more deeply to the works.

Examples of onomatopoeia in comic books

If any modern genre has perfected the art of onomatopoeia as well as poetry, it’s comic books. The “pow” of Batman’s punch and the iconic “thwip” of Spiderman’s web exemplify onomatopoeia perfectly. In an art form where pictures and just a few lines of dialogue convey action-packed stories, onomatopoeia allows readers to vividly hear and feel the story. Take a look at these examples:

• Crash
• Bang
• Boink
• Boom
• Ker-splash
• Pow
• Poof
• Swoop
• Thwip
• Zip

Each sound word helps the reader visualize the characters depicted on the page engrossed in exciting fight scenes, car chases, and fantastical feats.

Examples of onomatopoeia in advertising

It’s easy to remember sound words, and advertisers know this. That’s why many use it in brand advertising so consumers remember their brand over a competitors’. Your favorite cereals and social media sites may make this list of examples. Take a look.

• Bumble
• Cap’n Crunch
• Corn Pops
• Mazda: Zoom Zoom!
• Rice Krispies: Snap! Crackle! Pop!
• Snapchat
• TikTok
• Twitter
• Twitch
• Zoom

We don’t think about it too deeply, but sounds really do dig up emotional responses in us, and it may contribute to us responding better to one brand over another.

Examples of onomatopoeia to play with in your own writing

Next time you sit down to write, mix some onomatopoeia into your work and see what it does for your imagery. Here’s some examples to try.

• The rock star banged on the drum.
• She was excited to hear the cash register’s ca-ching for the first time that day.
• They roasted marshmallows over a crackling fire.
• The heroine’s cape flapped in the wind.
• The dog growled at the cat for getting too close to her food bowl.
• The tired boy plopped down into his desk, trying not to fall asleep.
• The biker revved her engine as she sped down the highway.
• The sail ripped during the storm.
• Sausage sizzled in the pan.
• The cat purred happily while curled up next to her dog friend.

Get started with your writing and play around with this language technique. Read your sentences out loud, not just for proofreading grammar, but so you can really pay attention to the sensory effect the onomatopoeia has on your work. With a little practice, this literary technique can help your readers truly imagine what you’re describing—and make your work just plain fun.