Onomatopoeia

Test yourself

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is when the way the word sounds imitates the sound it is describing.

Heels clacking

Her heels clacked on the wooden floor.
- In this phrase, ‘clacked’ is onomatopoeia because ‘clack’ sounds like the noise that high heels make when they hit wooden floors.
- The onomatopoeia adds to your writing because it grabs the reader’s attention, jarring them as the description is interrupted with the literal sound, ‘clack’.

Earthquake rumbling

The earthquake rumbled across the valley.
- In this phrase, ‘rumbled’ is onomatopoeia because ‘rumble’ sounds like the noise that earthquakes make as they move through the ground.
- The onomatopoeia adds to your writing because it grabs the reader’s attention, jarring them as the description is interrupted with the literal sound, ‘rumble’.

Paint splattering

He flicked the brush and paint splattered across the wall.
- In this phrase, ‘splattered’ is onomatopoeia because ‘splat’ sounds like the noise that paint makes when it hits a surface.
- The onomatopoeia adds to your writing because it grabs the reader’s attention, jarring them as the description is interrupted with the literal sound, ‘splat’.

Tips for Using Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is when the way the word sounds imitates the sound it is describing.

Focus on the sound

Focus on the sound you are trying to create. What are you describing and what sound do you want your reader to actually hear in their heads as they read the sentence?

Consider tone/atmosphere

Consider what kind of tone/atmosphere you are trying to create – the right onomatopoeic sound could give you a very tense feeling (‘rumble’, ‘crunch’, ‘clatter’) or could create a more uplifting feeling (‘hum’, ‘jingle’).

Choose vocabulary well

Your choice of vocabulary is vital in creating your language devices effectively.

1Key Terms

1.1Key Terms

1.1.1Nouns

1.1.2Verbs

1.1.3Sentence Types

1.1.4Words

1.1.5Sound

1.1.6Language

1.1.7Images & Symbols

1.1.8Phrases

1.1.9Mood

1.1.10Key Terms - Other Techniques

1.1.11End of Topic Test - Key Terms

2Language Techniques

3Paper 1: Reading

3.1Paper 1: Reading - Section A

3.1.1Paper 1: Reading - Overview - Section A

3.1.2Paper 1: Reading - Answering Question 1

3.1.3Paper 1: Reading - Answering Question 2

3.1.4Exam-Style Questions - Paper 1: Reading

3.1.5Paper 1: Reading - Answering Question 3

3.1.6Paper 1: Reading - Answering Question 4

3.1.7End of Topic Test - Section A

3.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Paper 1: Reading

3.1.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q1

3.1.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q2

3.1.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q3

3.1.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q4 1

3.1.13Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q4 2

4Paper 1: Writing

4.1Paper 1: Writing - Structuring Your Answer

4.1.1Paper 1: Writing - Overview - Section B

4.1.2Paper 1: Writing - Descriptive Writing

4.1.3Paper 1: Writing - Narrative Writing

4.1.4Paper 1: Writing - Answering Section B (option 1)

4.1.5Paper 1: Writing - Answering Section B (option 2)

4.1.6Paper 1: Writing - Answering Section B - Checklist

4.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Section

4.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Paper 1: Writing

4.1.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q5 1

4.1.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - P1 Q5 2

5Paper 2: Reading

5.1Paper 2: Reading - DAFORESTER

5.1.1Paper 2: Reading - Direct Address

5.1.2Paper 2: Reading - Alliteration

5.1.3Paper 2: Reading - Facts

5.1.4Paper 2: Reading - Opinions

5.1.5Paper 2: Reading - Repetition

5.1.6Paper 2: Reading - Exaggeration (Hyperbole)

5.1.7Paper 2: Reading - Statistics

5.1.8Paper 2: Reading - Triples (Rule of 3)

5.1.9Paper 2: Reading - Emotive Language

5.1.10Paper 2: Reading - Rhetorical Questions

5.1.11End of Topic Test - DAFORESTER

5.2Paper 2: Reading - Structuring Your Answer

5.2.1Paper 2: Reading - Overview - Section A

5.2.2Paper 2: Reading - Answering Question 1

5.2.3Paper 2: Reading - Answering Question 2

5.2.4Paper 2: Reading - Answering Question 3

5.2.5Exam-Style Questions - Paper 2: Reading

5.2.6Paper 2: Reading - Answering Question 4

5.2.7End of Topic Test - Section A

5.2.8Exam-Style Questions - Paper 2: Reading

5.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q1

5.2.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q2 1

5.2.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q2 2

5.2.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q4

6Paper 2: Writing

6.1Paper 2: Writing - Structuring Your Answer

6.1.1Paper 2: Writing - Overview - Section B

6.1.2Paper 2: Writing - Answering Section B

6.1.3Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q5 1

6.1.4Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q5 2

6.1.5Diagnostic Misconceptions - P2 Q5 3

6.2Types of Writing

6.2.1Paper 2: Writing - Article

6.2.2Paper 2: Writing - Essay

6.2.3Paper 2: Writing - Leaflet

6.2.4Paper 2: Writing - Letter

6.2.5Paper 2: Writing - Speech

6.2.6Paper 2: Writing - Review

6.2.7Paper 2: Writing - Travel Writing

6.2.8Paper 2: Writing - Diaries & Journals

6.2.9End of Topic Test - Types of Writing

6.3Writing to...

6.3.1Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Inform

6.3.2Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Inform - Example

6.3.3Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Explain

6.3.4Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Explain - Example

6.3.5Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Persuade

6.3.6Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Persuade - Example

6.3.7Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Argue

6.3.8Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Argue - Example

6.3.9Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Persuade vs Writing

6.3.10Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Advise

6.3.11Paper 2: Writing - Writing to Advise - Example

6.3.12End of Topic Test - Writing to...

6.3.13Exam-Style Questions - Paper 2: Writing

Jump to other topics