What is Onomatopoeia?

The noun onomatopoeia is thought to has been first used in around 1577 AD. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word onomatopoeia originates from the Greek word onomatopoiia meaning 'word-making'. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary reports the onomatopoiia is derived from the Greek onoma 'name' and poiein 'to make'.

Onomatopoeia is pronounced: \ˌä-nə-ˌmä-tə-ˈpē-ə, -ˌma-\

Definition of Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle). However the word Onomatopoeia can also be used to describe the used of such words for rhetorical effect. For example, in the sentence 'The poet Tennyson used onomatopoeia as a linguistic device' (see example below).

Onomatopoeia and its derivatives

The adjective onomatopoeic can be used in the sentence 'Woof is an example of onomatopoeia'.

The adverb onomatopoeically is used in the sentence 'She lived her life onomatopoeically ...whoopy!'

Onomatopoeia in jokes

Onomatopoeia can be used as a linguist device in many types of writings including jokes. Do you remember the old Knock-Knock jokes, even the name of this type of joke is another example of onomatopoeia.

What about the joke:
Knock-knock Who's there?
Boo
Boo who?
Don't cry, I was only joking

...you guessed it, another example of onomatopoeia

Examples of onomatopoeia in poems

Onomatopoeia is also used by poets to convey their subject to the reader.For example, in the last lines of Sir Alfred Tennyson's poem 'Come Down, O Maid', m and n sounds produce an atmosphere of murmuring insects:

... the moan of doves in immemorial elms,
And murmuring of innumerable bees.

Searching for examples of onomatopoeia

To use this website to search for examples of onomatopoeia scroll back to the top of the page click on a letter given on the right-hand search menu, if you click on 'A' it will take you to onomatopoeic words beginning with 'A'. Or, you can use the menu at the top of the page to link you to examples of onomatopoeia in letter ranges A-F, G-M, N-S, and T-Z. If you also want the definition of these onomatopoeic words then simply click on the word to be taken to its definition.

We hope you find our examples of onomatopoeia useful and enjoy using this resource