Onomatopoeia has several meanings. One meaning is the creation or use of words that sound like the items or actions they name or refer to. As such, onomatopoeia is a rhetorical device: a language technique or device used to create an effect in or for the reader. Onomatopoeia differs from cacophony, the intentional use of harsh sound for effect, as well as from euphony, the use of harmonious sounds, also for effect, although onomatopoeia may, depending on the item or action being imitated, fit into either of those categories.

Although onomatopoeia in this sense covers a wide range of sounds, much onomatopoeia seems to fall into a few categories, with the most, by far, being associated with the sounds made by animals. Here are some onomatopoetic words, grouped by category.

Mechanical Onomatopoeia. Machine noises seem to make up a fair amount of the common onomatopoeia. Examples include: buzz, beep, whirr, click, clack, clunk, clatter, clink. Notice the group of words that begin with cl.

Fast Motion Onomatopoeia. Words that convey the sound of speed seem often to begin with the letter s or z. Boing, varoom/vroom, whoosh, swish, swoosh, zap, zing, zip, and zoom are examples.

Musical Onomatopoeia. Some musical onomatopoeia is associated with specific music instruments — the twang of a banjo or guitar, for example, or oompah for a tuba, or plunk for a keyboard. Others imitate a metallic sound, and these often end in ng: ting, ding, ring, ping, clang, bong, brrrring, jingle, and jangle. Then there are some that clearly evoke wind instruments, like blare, honk, and toot; and another group that seem percussive, like rap, tap, boom, rattle, and plunk. A person making music without an instrument might hum or clap or snap.

Food Preparation and Eating Onomatopoeia. In cooking, food may crackle or sizzle and oil may splatter. When we pour something to drink, it may go splash, kerplunk, or gush, but hopefully it won’t drip, and when we open a soft drink, it will probably fizz. When it’s time to eat, we’re likely to nibble, munch, gobble, and crunch.

Fighting Onomatopoeia. The action words that show up in comic books during fighting scenes are onomatopoetic: pow, bif, bam, whomp, thump, smash, zowie, bang, and wham are some of them.

Animal Onomatopoeia. The sounds that animals make are complicated even in English, but it’s important to be aware that — contrary to what one might expect — in different parts of the world, the words used for animal sounds are quite different. Sheep do not universally go baa, nor do ducks quack everywhere in the world. Here are some common English renderings:

Onomatopoeia is also used to refer to imitative resonances of other kinds. In this meaning, using a little word like wee to mean small, or a long or big word like macroscopical to mean large, is an example of onomatopoetic usage. Another example is shape. Creating a poem about, say, a tree, in the shape of the tree is another example of onomatopoeia in this sense.