An onomatopoeia is a word whose sound is similar to the action it refers to, such as “buzz” or “hiss.” Using onomatopoetic words in a poem can help increase the sensory impact of the poem, creating vivid imagery because the words themselves evoke sounds as well as meaning.
To learn more about how onomatopoeia can be used in poems, have a look at this lesson plan.
If you are writing rhyming poetry you may occasional need to include onomatopoeia rhymes in your poems. Here is a list of a few hundred onomatopoeia rhymes you can use as you write.
- Achoo / boo / boo-hoo / choo-choo / cock-a-doodle-doo / coo / cuckoo / moo / phew
- Bash / clash / crash / slash / smash / splash
- Bam / slam / wham
- Bang / clang / twang
- Beep / cheep
- Blurt / spurt / squirt
- Boink / oink
- Bong / ding dong / gong / ping pong / pong
- Bonk / clonk
- Boom / vroom / zoom
- Bow-wow / meow / pow
- Bump / clump / thump / whump
- Burp / chirp / slurp
- Cackle / crackle
- Chatter / clatter / pitter patter / shatter / splatter
- Chomp / clomp / stomp / tromp
- Clack / crack / hack / quack / smack / thwack / whack
- Clap / flap / rap / slap / snap / tap / zap
- Click / flick
- Clink / plink
- Clip / drip / flip / rip / snip / whip
- Clip clop / clop / flip-flop / flop / plop / pop
- Clonk / honk
- Cluck / pluck
- Clunk / kerplunk / plunk
- Creak / shriek / squeak
- Crinkle / tinkle / sprinkle / wrinkle
- Crunch / munch
- Ding / cha-ching / ping / ring / zing
- Fizz / whiz
- Fizzle / sizzle
- Flush / rush / shush
- Flutter / mutter / sputter
- Giggle / jiggle / wiggle / wriggle
- Groan / moan
- Growl / howl / yowl
- Grumble / mumble / rumble
- Huff / puff
- Knock / tick tock
- Poof / woof
- Purr / whir
- Roar / snore
- Squish / swish / whish
- Sway / neigh
- Swoop / whoop
- Swoosh / whoosh
Click here for other lists of rhyming words.
Here are links to other websites for more information about onomatopoeia poems for kids:
