List of onomatopoeias

This is a list of onomatopoeias, i.e. words that imitate, resemble or suggest the source of the sound that they describe. For more information, see the linked articles.

Human vocal sounds

Words for people named after sounds
  • Barbarian, a person perceived to be uncivilized; derived from a Greek word imitating babbling
  • Flibbertigibbet, a flighty or talkative person; derived from a meaningless representation of chattering
  • Mleccha, ancient Indian word for a foreigner; derived from a word for indistinct speech

Sounds made by devices or other objects
  • Awooga, or Aooga
  • Bang, the sound of an explosion or a gunshot
  • Boom, the sound of an explosion
  • Beep, a high-pitched signal
  • Beep, beep, 1929 word for a car horn
  • Ching, sound of metal on metal
  • Clatter
  • Clink, sound of glass on glass
  • Ding dong, the sound of a ringing bell
  • Fizz, sound of effervescence
  • Flutter, sound of rapid motion, e.g. aeroelastic flutter
  • Honk, sound of a car horn; also used for the call of a goose
  • Kaboom, the sound of an explosion
  • Oom-pah, the rhythmical sound of a deep brass instrument in a band
  • Ping
  • Plop
  • Pop
  • Rumble
  • Sizzle
  • Slosh
  • Splash, sound of water upon disturbance
  • Squish
  • Swish
  • Thump
  • Tick tick tick, sound of a timer
  • Tick tock, sound of a clock
  • Toot
  • Vroom, sound of an engine revving up
  • Whirr
  • Whoosh, sound of the wind
  • Zap, sound of an electrostatic discharge
  • Zilch, sound of melting plastic

Things named after sounds
  • Choo Choo, childish word for a train, after the sound of a steam locomotive's driven pistons.
  • Flip-flops
  • Tuk-tuk, word for auto rickshaw in parts of Asia and Africa

Animal and bird names

Animal and bird noises

For sounds listed by the name of the animal, see List of animal sounds.

English words for animal noises include:

  • Bark, call of a dog
  • Bleat, call of a sheep
  • Buzz, sound of bees or insects flying
  • Chirp, bird call
  • Chirp, sound made by rubbing together feet or other body parts, e.g. by a cricket or a cicada
  • Growling, low, guttural vocalization produced by predatory animals
  • Hiss, sound made by a snake
  • Hoot, call of an owl
  • Meow, cry of a cat
  • Moo, sound of a cow
  • Purr, a tonal buzzing sound made by all members of the cat family
  • Quack, call of a duck
  • Ribbit, sound of some Pacific tree frogs or bullfrogs
  • Roar, deep, bellowing outburst made by various animals
  • Screech, high-pitched strident or piercing sound, as made by a screech owl

Music groups or terms
  • Bebop, a style of jazz
  • Ratatat, a New York City experimental electronic rock duo
  • Wah-wah, the sound of altering the resonance of musical notes to extend expressiveness
  • Doof doof, Australian slang term describes electronic music heard at raves
  • Wham! Wham! was a 1980s English musical duo formed by members George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley
  • Djent, a style of progressive metal named after the sound of a palm-muted guitar
  • Kecak, part of a musical drama, is named after monkey chatter, and "chak" is also the sound of a struck bar percussion instrument as in a gamelan

Works and characters named after sounds

Sounds in fiction

See also

References

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