Onomatopoeia Examples

There are many onomatopoeia examples in English. Learning Onomatopoeia words can really improve your or your students’ writing and can help to bring a story or a poem to life. If you’re not sure what onomatopoeia words are, they are words that describe and mimic the sound of an object or an action. For example, a dog’s bark, a snake’s hiss, etc.

On this page, we have put together many onomatopoeia examples and a list of onomatopoeia words in English. You’ll also find many onomatopoeia example sentences to help you learn how to use these fun words.

Table of Contents

Here is a list of onomatopoeia Examples:

Onomatopoeia Examples: Animal Sounds

The following onomatopoeia examples are sounds that animals make.

meow – the sound a cat makes
purr – the sound a cat makes
woof – the sound a dog makes
moo – the sound a cow makes
oink – the sound a pig makes
cock-a-doodle-doo – the sound a rooster makes
roar – the sound a bear/lion makes
hee-haw – the sound a donkey makes
quack – the sound a duck makes
hoot – the sound an owl makes
chirp – the sound a bird makes
cluck – the sound a chicken makes
cuckoo – the sound a cuckoo bird makes
hiss – the sound a snake makes
neigh – the sound a horse makes
ribbit – the sound a frog makes
tweet – the sound a bird makes

Onomatopoeia Examples: Sounds People Make

The following list of onomatopoeia examples are sounds that people make.

ahem
burp
achoo
chatter
gargle
hiccup
cough
hum
mumble
chomp
clap
snort
slurp
groan
moan
shriek
sniff
tut
whine
gulp
belch
chatter
grunt
giggle

Onomatopoeia Examples: Impact Sounds

Here following list of onomatopoeia examples are impact sounds / collision sounds.

bang
thud
clang
clap
ding
slap
thump
boom
crash
whack
clink
knock
tap
ping
tick

Onomatopoeia Examples: Water Sounds

The following onomatopoeia examples are all water sounds / the sound that water makes.

splash
dribble
drip
drizzle
sprinkle
pitter-patter
squirt
plop
spurt
spit

Onomatopoeia Examples: Food and Cooking Sounds

The following onomatopoeia examples are all food / cooking sounds.

sizzle
pop
crackle
fizz
snap
crackle
bubble
spit
glug
crunch

Onomatopoeia Example Sentences

Here are some Onomatopoeia example sentences.

The dog barked all night.
The mouse went squeak as it ran across the room.
Suddenly, there was a loud thud at the door.
The waves crashed against the side of the boat.
The sausages are sizzling in the pan.
The corn went pop in the microwave.
The was a loud bang and then everything went dark.
The audience clapped at the end of the show.
I heard a huge roar and turned around and saw a bear.
Water was gushing everywhere.
The owl hooted all night.
A loud crack came from the ice.
Kelly’s teeth chattered as she stood out in the cold.
A twig snapped under my feet.
My cat purrs when I stroke it.
Splash went the water when Chris jumped in.
Dad burped loudly after dinner.
The tap dripped water all night long.
Pitter-Patter went the rain.
The snake hissed at me as I got closer.
Mom always hums when she is cooking.

Thanks for reading. I hope you found these onomatopoeia examples useful. Check out our other vocabulary lists for more useful English vocabulary and resources.