Onomatopoeia is the use of words that imitate the sounds they describe. The sound of the word echoes the sound of the thing.

“Buzz,” “hiss,” “crash,” and “murmur” are common examples. Poets and prose writers use onomatopoeia to make description more vivid and immediate, recruiting the reader’s ear as well as the mind’s eye. Comic books and children’s literature rely on it heavily; serious literature uses it more sparingly for precise effect. The device is language-specific; different languages represent the same sound with different imitative words.

Onomatopoeia can be subtle or overt. A single well-chosen word can suggest a whole sonic environment. Overuse risks sounding gimmicky, yet the occasional onomatopoeic touch can animate a passage. The figure reminds readers that language is not only symbolic but also, at times, directly mimetic.

When a word’s sound performs its meaning, the device is onomatopoeia.