Onomatopoeia

Isn’t this word quite a mouthful? Onomatopoeia are sound words – the way they are spelled is related
to how they actually sound in real life. Some examples are BAM, BOOM, CRASH, WHAM – all
very common in comic books. We shall see how onomatopoetic words can enhance your description
of scenes. This is an extension of the worksheet ‘Everyday sounds’.
1) Mr Krabs grinned from ear to ear as he listened to the euphonious k__- c______ of the cash
register.
2) During the F1 season, the ear-piercing sound of engines r________ can be heard across
Marina Bay.
3) The starving beggar sl______ the soup ravenously.
4) Tyres sc_______ as he stepped on his brakes.
5) He gar________ the mouthwash before brushing his teeth.
6) The clan_____ of pots in the kitchen (loud metallic sound)
7) The clac_____ of her high heels against the concrete floor
8) The rat-a-tat of _____________________________ (a rapping sound)
9) The relaxing pa_______ of rain on the windscreen
10) The ho________ of cars in a traffic jam
11) The toddler’s ice-cream landed on the floor with a spl______.
12) The fl________ of wings as the child capered towards the flock of pigeons
13) The engine be_________ out a plume of smoke.
14) The bl_________ of lambs in the plains
15) When she lost her parents in the crowd, she started to sni________.
16) The lion sna_______ at anyone who dared enter its territory.
17) The sick man was constantly whe_________.
18) The str_______ of guitars
19) The melodious cro_________ of the choir
20) The ho_______ of owls
21) She ye________ as her toe collided with the leg of the coffee table
22) The h________ of the wind/wolves
23) His stomach r__________/thunder r__________ (same word)
24) The clock ch_______ when it was noon.
25) The baby ba______ when he lost his toys.

How to use onomatopoeia in a scene

Original: The hunter aimed at the bird with his rifle and fired. It hit the bird and it dropped to the
ground.
Now: The bullet from the hunter’s rifle swooshed through the air and slammed into the bird. The next
moment, the bird plummeted from the sky and hit the ground with a deafening plop.

Original: Everyone was busy preparing for the banquet. The chefs were cooking all kinds of dishes
from sweet and sour pork to shark’s fin soup. The heat was unbearable.
Now: A frenzy of activity permeated the kitchen. Beneath the hurried barking of orders, meats of all
shapes and sizes sizzled in the pans. The jarring clank of pots and ladles added to the vexation of the
chefs, who were already sweating buckets.

Original: The orange ball of sun lit up the park in a warm glow. Many families were having picnics
on the verdant fields. Children were running around gleefully while birds were chirping beautiful
songs.
Now: The wind whistled lackadaisically and in response the leaves fluttered. The gleeful giggling of
children injected life into the verdant park. The children were occasionally interrupted by the
euphonious warbling of songbirds.

Your turn
Try describing how a concert hall is like. Do not attempt to tell me any information. Instead show me
what’s happening using your five senses, with a focus on the sounds.

Next try describing a sinister looking house for me.

At a glance