Onomatopoeia


Definition
Onomatopoeia is defined as a word, which imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described, making the description more expressive and interesting.


Common Examples of Onomatopoeia

The buzzing bee flew away.
The sack fell into the river with a splash.
The books fell on the table with a loud thump.
He looked at the roaring sky.The rustling leaves kept me awake. The different sounds of animals are also considered as examples of onomatopoeia. You will recognize the following sounds easily:
Meow
Moo
Neigh
Tweet
Oink
Baa

Groups of Onomatopoeic Words

Onomatopoeic words come in combinations as they reflect different sounds of a single object.
 For example, a group of words reflecting different sounds of water are;
 plop,
splash,
gush,
sprinkle,
drizzle,
drip etc.




Function of Onomatopoeia

Generally, words are used to tell what is happening. Onomatopoeia, on the other hand, helps the readers to hear the sounds the words they reflect. Hence, the reader cannot help but enter the world created by the poet with the aid of these words. The beauty of onomatopoeic words lies in the fact that they are bound to have an effect on the readers’ senseswhether they are understood or not. Moreover, a simple plain expression does not have the same emphatic effect that conveys an idea powerfully to the readers. The use of onomatopoeic words helps create emphasis.