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Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate or suggest a sound: buzz, bang and meow, for example. You can hear British and American pronunciations in the Cambridge Dictionary.
This list contains 62 sound words and written sound effects. Some are ordinary verbs, such as hum; others, such as zzz and ba dum tss, are conventional spellings used in comics or informal writing. They do not all work as ordinary nouns or verbs.
Sound words vary between languages. An English-speaking frog may go ribbit in a story, but that spelling is a convention, not an exact description of every frog.
Human sounds
These words describe noises people make, or represent reactions in writing. Many are informal.
| Sound word | Meaning or use |
|---|---|
| achoo | a written sneeze |
| ahem | a throat-clearing sound, often used to attract attention |
| argh | a cry of pain, annoyance or frustration |
| babble | to utter meaningless sounds |
| blech | an exclamation of disgust |
| bawl | loud cry |
| brrr | an exclamation showing that someone feels cold |
| burp | the sound of gas escaping from the mouth |
| cackle | a loud, unpleasant laugh |
| chomp | a noisy bite or chewing sound |
| clap | the sound you make when you strike both palms together |
| growl | low rumbling sound |
| gulp | sound of swallowing |
| harumph | expression of disdain or protest |
| haha | sound of laughter |
| hee-hee | high-pitched laughter |
| gargle | a bubbling sound made with liquid in the throat |
| grrr | sound of anger |
| hum | a steady sound made with closed lips |
| hiccup | a short, involuntary sound caused by a hiccup |
| munch | chew noisily |
| screech | sharp piercing cry |
| shush | the sound of silencing someone |
| shh | sound of silencing |
| smack | the sound when you hit something or someone |
| tsk | a sound of disapproval |
| zzz | a conventional written representation of snoring or sleep |
Examples: “Ahem—may I say something?” “She hummed quietly.” “Brrr! It’s cold outside.”
Sounds made by objects
Use these to describe a noise or create a written sound effect. As verbs, they change normally: clink, clinked, clinking.
| Sound word | Meaning or use |
|---|---|
| ba dum tss | Imitating a drum roll and cymbal crash played to underscore a joke |
| bang | the sound of an explosion or a gunshot |
| boom | the sound of an explosion |
| beep | a high-pitched signal |
| beep-beep | car horn sound |
| clink | sound of glass on glass |
| ding-dong | ringing bell |
| rustle | a soft sound made by leaves, paper or fabric moving |
| fizz | the sound of gas escaping from a drink or any liquid |
| honk | sound of car horn |
| ring-ring | sound of a phone ringing |
| smash | sound of a collision |
| splash | the sound of something moving through or falling into water |
| tick, tick, tick | a short, repeated ticking sound |
| tick-tock | the repeated sound of a clock |
| thud | a dull, heavy sound like a big object falling |
| vroom | sound of an engine revving |
| zap | a conventional comic-book sound for a sudden electrical effect |
| slam | a door or lid closing with a loud bang |
Examples: “The glasses clinked.” “The door slammed shut.” “There was a thud upstairs.”
Animal sounds
The same spelling may describe more than one animal. For example, birds and crickets can both chirp.
| Sound word | Meaning or use |
|---|---|
| baa | goat / sheep |
| buzz | insects like bees, mosquitoes, or flies |
| chirp | a short sound made by birds or crickets |