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

What is onomatopoeia?
An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds just like the thing it is describing. It’s also one of the trickiest words in the English language to spell! The word onomatopoeia comes from the combination of two Greek words, one meaning ‘name’ and the other meaning ‘I’ make. So, literally, onomatopoeia means the name (or sound) I make. For example, splat! or boing! Both these words are onomatopoeic and they mean nothing more than what they sound like.
Onomatopoeic words imitate sounds that you hear in everyday life and this is a far easier concept to understand when we look at some examples.

Animal sounds

In the English language, lots of words that describe the sounds that animals make are onomatopoeic:
Dogs woof, bark, arf and growl
Cats meow, purr, and hiss
Birds can cheep, crow, quack, tweet and warble
Cows moo
Pigs oink and snort
Horses neigh
Donkeys bray
Bees and wasps and flies all buzz
Water sounds
Lots of words in the English language that describe water are onomatopoeic. Perhaps you’ve already heard:
Gurgle
Splosh
Bloop
Drip
Squirt
You’ll notice a lot of other nature-related words in the English language that are onomatopoeic too, such as words to describe the wind – howling, blustery, and the rain – pitter-patter.

How Batman can help…

But there are plenty of other words besides those relating to animals and nature that sound just like the sound they’re describing. If you watch Batman have a fight with any of his enemies and you’ll immediately understand what we mean!

So what are onomatopoeic words used for?

To create new words – some onomatopoeic words mean nothing beyond the sound that they are imitating. But some onomatopoeic words are used for so long, or so closely match a real sound, that they begin to be used to describe that actual thing that is making the sound in the first place. Here are a couple of examples to help you:

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  Slap – this sounds just like the sound of skin hitting against skin, and it’s now also the word people use to describe the act of hitting someone, usually in the face.
  

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