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What Are Onomatopoeic Sounds?
An onomatopoeic sound is a word describing a sound. These words are used sparingly in stories to appeal to the readers’ senses. Making them more immersed.
Onomatopoeic sounds bring language to life by capturing the readers’ imagination. Painting a fuller picture.
Create more of an atmosphere in your writing with sounds. Do you want your readers to be spooked? Shocked? Unnerved? Curious?
Unsure of how to describe your scene with sounds? Here are 6 common situations to use noises to amplify movement/reaction.
Water And Liquid Like
Drip, squelch, squish, splatter, splish, splosh, sputter, splash, swash, pitter-patter, bubble, spray, sneeze, splat, splash.
Effortful
Oompah, pant, grunt, huff, slip, stomp, moan, mutter, grumble, crash.
Human Oriented (Vocal)
Grumble, murmur, groan, mumble, gasp, snort, splutter, sniff, snore, sob, grunt, huff, hum, lisp, gulp, drone, whisper, yammer, yelp, whimper, sneeze, screech, hiccup, achoo, ahem, barf, bawl, burr, sniff, gulp, babble, quiver, belch, gobble, holler, whistle.
Object And Movement
Klunk, pop, rattle, ring, ding, echo, squeak, wobble, thump, thunk, smash, beep, bleep, buzz, crinkle, strum, jingle, jangle, sizzle, bam, boing, blink, bop, clang, flap, grate, peel, ping, tap, click, clash, bump, tick-tock, swish, swoosh, wallop, whirr, whoosh, zoom, whang, wham, twang, whack, poof, plunk, plop, blast, boink, bong, boom, hack, boing, whirl, knock.
Unsettling
Clunk, clack, clatter, crackle, creak, rumble, shuffle, slam, rustle, smash, snap, grind, gnaw, wheeze, yowl, slam, screech, snarl, scrunch, slither, pound, pulse, bang, grumble, huff, trill, bang, bellow, creak, grind, wail, yowl, crunch.
Nature
Chrip, chirr, chirrup, caw, croak, neigh, oink, rawr, ribbet, hoot, howl, meow, flutter, hiss, natter, gallop, gust, speak, scurry, squawk, arf, bark, croak, baa, bleet.
Where you able to incorporate some onomatopoeic sounds into your story? How did it go? Let me know in the comments. Until then.
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