Creative writing · lesson 12 of 24 · free

Onomatopoeia: sound words — Creative writing for kids

Some words sound just like the noise they name: buzz, sizzle, splash, tick-tock. These sound words are called onomatopoeia (on-o-mat-o-pee-a), and they let the reader hear your story.

▶ Watch how it works

Got it? Practise ↓

Writer's tip

Say the sound — “onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like the noise it names”

  1. Say the word aloud — does it sound like a noise? (hiss, crunch, boom).
  2. Match the sound to what makes it: a bee buzzes, a duck quacks, pakoras sizzle.
  3. Use one in a story to make a moment loud and real: Splash! Kabir fell into the pond.

Use it for: Lively story openings, comics, poems and “find the sound word” questions.

Worked example: What makes the sound “buzz”? → a bee

  1. Say “buzz” slowly — it sounds like wings humming.
  2. Bees buzz. A rooster crows and a camera clicks.

Check: “The bees buzz around the mango flowers” — it sounds right ✓

▶ Watch it animated

✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

Right: 0 · Tried: 0

🏁 Lesson 12 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the 💥 Sound Word Smasher badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 8 lessons of Part 2 · Making writing vivid. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Onomatopoeia Worksheet

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