Onomatopoetic Words

First off: “Ompa” is the sound of a car going over a speedbump.

Onomatopoeia is derived from Greek words meaning “name making.”

Onomatopoeia means the “name” given to a sound. It’s a word imitation of noise. But it is hard to spell onomatopoeia and even harder to describe what it is, much less pronounce it. You always have to stop and explain it.

So to make things easier, I shortened it to OMPA. Which is what onomatopoeia is anyway- a conversational speedbump.

Here is a list of Onomatopoeia and their definitions, written by elementary school kids.

A

Arp a seal bark

Arf a dog bark

Ack a choking sound

Aggitta a shaking your head in confusion

Argh a frustrated exclamation

Arrroooo a wolf howl

Arrr a pirate’s growl

Ahem clearing your throat expectantly

B

Bark what a dog says

Barf what a dog says when it vomits

Bang a gunshot

Boom an explosion

Bash a crushing sound

Bing a soft belltone

Badoom a percussive explosion

Boing a spring or a bounce

Bap a fish hitting the side of your head

Baliggle water in motion

Buzz the hum of a bee

Belch a violent burp

Burp a mild belch

Bong a bell sound

Bbbbbbb an engine hum (rolling)

Bump a collision

Blorp a large bubble eruption

Blibble what a jacuzzi says

Blurp a watery burp

Baaa what a sheep says

Bok Bagok what a chicken says

Bling shiney jewelry

Bop Foofoo hitting a field mouse’s head

Bam another percussive sound

Beep a car horn

Bubble air released from water

Blubble excited air released from water

Babble incoherent vocals

Beebop a style of music

Bounce the sound of little jumps

Biff to knock on Marty McFly’s head

Brush combing hair

Bonk two skulls hitting

Boosh a toddler imitating a collision

Bray what a donkey says

Bow the sound of being stretched

Bungee the sound of a rubber band going taught and bouncing back suddenly

C

Clip Clop horses hooves

Clonk another concussion sound

Clang a big bell dropped on a floor

Crash a collision

Crinkle crumpling up paper

Clink a colonel dropping his monacle

Clap singular applause

Creak something under pressure

Click a small tapping sound

Clack Clicks brother

Chop what an axe says

Careen a car hitting a guardrail

Chirp what a bird says

Cheep what a small bird says

Crunch a hard object crushed

Cough an quick expulsion of air

Cluck more chicken speak

Clunk a heavy object dropped

Croak what a frog says

Chickaboom a rythmic beat

Chomp an eating sound

Chuckle a low laugh

Clash two objects not in agreement

Clatter lots of dropped objects

Cha-ching a cash register

Cuckoo what a psychiatrist says

Choo what a train says

Chew a train eating

Chug a train drinking

Crack breaking a treebranch or spine

Clank a plank of wood on a metal floor

Crow what a crow does

Chip to break off a small piece

Crackle what a fire says

Chuck hurl away someone named charles

Chintz the sound of change going back in your pocket

D

Doink a small berry on a tennis racket

Ding Dong a doorbell

Da Dom Domm detective Joe Friday arriving

Digga Digga the echoey sound of a diving board

Drip what water says

Dinka Dinka a cartoon character sneaking on tippy toes

Dink dipping a pen in a glass inkwell

Dump the sound of garbage thrown into a pit

Dong hitting your head on a large churchbell

Drift car tires losing traction then getting it again

E

Eek what a mouse says or –

what you say when you see one

Earp how a sheriff burps

Eayah what you yell during karate class

F

Fwoosh the sound of a jetplane

Fwap something soft hitting your head

Flip Flop the sound of cheap beach shoes

Fizz what soda says

Fizzle a dud firecracker

Flutter birds wings

Flush what a toilet says

Flitter the sound of butterfly wings

Flap a flying sound

Flog the sound of punishment

Flub almost slipping in the bathtub

Fft a lighter or how to distract a disobedient dog

Fling throwing an object to one you love

Fisst the sound of a tire losing air

Fwip when a small object flies out of reach

Flirt the sound of eyelashes batting

G

Groan an overworked engine

Grind something forced under another object

Galoop stirring thick soup

Gallop how a horse runs in Texas

Gish squishing a bug

Grunt a quick growl of disapproval

Gong hitting a metal plate in disapproval

Gobble what a turkey says-or- eating on Thanksgiving

Gargle liquid in the back of your throat

Growl a friction throat noise

Grumble mummbling in disapproval

Gasp a surprised intake of air

Gag to cut off that intake of air

Giggle to titter and snicker

Glorp pulling a goolash out of mud

Glitch stepping in dogpoop or a disruptive sound

Gurgle what you say at the bottom of a pool

Gleam the sound of shine

Gulp to swallow air

Gweeze squishing mud between your fingers

Guish smishing guava through your toes

H

Honk another car horn

Haaaaaa whisper this word to imitate a crowd cheer

Hoohah a bike horn-or- a shindig

Hum singing with your mouth closed

Hiss an angry snake or cat

Howl what a wold does

Hoot what an owl gives

Ha-ha laughter vocalized

Hack a cat with a hairball

-or- to chop

-or- a comic using recycled humor

Herrr-wee-err what a Didgeridoo says

Hee-Haw how hillbilly’s imitate their favorite show

Hug sound of someone gently squeezing the air out of you

I

Itch the sound of a dog scratching

Ick the sound of a sick dog

-or- your reaction to the sick dog

J

Jigga a diving board

Jang a guitar

Jangle playing a guitar

Jingle what Santa’s shoes do

Jab a quick stab

Junk the sound of throwing garbage away

Jiggle what jello says

Jig a dancing washing machine

Jam strongly stuffing berries into a jar

Jiggy with what Will Smith gets

K

Knock what you do to a door

Kong a large gorilla hitting the ground

Kapow a cartoon sound of getting hit with a brick

Kaboom a noisy cereal

Kaching a small cash register

Kersmitch stomping on a flaming bag of cow poop

Kachunk when an idea falls into place

King a crown falling on the tile floor

Kick the sound of your foot as a weapon

Krinkle to wad up cellophane

Kringle jingle bells inside a Santa outfit

L

Luggle flopping your cheeks around

Lap how dogs drink

Lick how dogs kiss

M

Moo what a cow says

Munch chewing with your mouth closed

Mash what you do to potatoes

Meow what a cat says

Moan what a ghost says

Murmer soft voices speaking low

Mumble speaking under your breath

N

Near what a slide guitar says

Neigh how a horse disapproves

Ning what a train crossing says

Nibble to sample with your teeth

Nip to sample a bit more, not a full bite

Nudge a vocal imitation of discreet push

O

Oink what a pig says -or- orange and pink mixed

Oop reaction to coconuts dropped on your feet

Ooh what a gorilla says

Ooze slow moving glue

Ompa car tires muffled going over a speedbump.

-or- a self reference

P

Plop dropping something mushy on the floor

Poit a popping cork sound

Pip smacking your lips quietly in great expectation

Punch a Hawaiian hitting you in the stomach

Pideek curly getting his eye poked

Pbbfflliitt! a linguio-labial trill -or- raspberry

Ping the sound of a small plastic ball

Plunk to play the piano with one finger

Purr what cats and sweet rides do

Puck the sound of a slap shot

Phlegm the sound of clearing your throat

Plash a soft splash

Pop your dad’s ears depressurizing

Pitter patter little feet

Pppppppp a distant lawn mower

Pitchoo a whispered gunshot

Pidoom a really giant footfall

Pow a voiced gunshot

Psst quietly getting attention -or- a truck’s air brakes

Pling to pluck a harps string

Pluck a single pling

Piddle an unhousebroken dog on a wooden floor

Q

Quack what a duck says

Q whisper the letter, it’s a lazer!

Qualm a uneasy sound your stomach makes

Quisp the sound of a crunchy cereal

R

Ring what a phone does to your ears

Rrrrr what a siren says

Roar a lion

Ruff a dog’s quick bark

Rattle what a snake does to your nerves

Rattatta lame imitation of a tommy gun

Rip what your old pants say

Ribbit what a frog says

Rumble what a thundercloud says

Rustle cows playing in a pile of leaves

Ralph Chong throwing up in Cheech’s lap

Ricky Ricky Ricky imitating scratching a record

Ripple the sound of a pebble dropped in water

S

Snort a violent sniffle

Sizzle what a cooking steak says

Swish to enter a room wearing a cape

Slish what kids do to puddles

Splash jumping in water

Swat military police hitting a rioter

Swig taking a long draught

Slip losing your footing

Sssss a leaky tire -or- snakespeak

Snap what your fingers or Rice Krispies do

Sknit! Wolverines claws coming out

Scratch fingernails on skin

Shatter a sheet of glass breaking, shanoobie

Splat ice cream hitting the sidewalk

Shock what you do to the monkey -or-

touching an electrical outlet

Stomp To pretentiously bang on various objects in the guise of performance art

Stamp The sound of angrily slapping postage on a letter

Slam the car door closing angriliy

Slap an open handed reaction to an inappropriate comment

Snarl curling your upper lip up and growling

Snicker suppressed laughter

Screech car tires around a tight corner

Scrunch your knees as you hunker down

Slosh kids still in puddles

Smack a hard slap or a soft kiss

Sniffle a liquified sniff

Sniff the sound of mucus

Splatter dropping a bowl of soup

Sputter your engine’s last word

Spit hawkaloogey

Sweep what a broom says

Shimmy to vibrate and girate -or- an additive to a “cocoa pop” beat

Shake to move your booty back and forth quickly

Stretch the sound of expanding muscles

Squeak what a mouse says as a door opens

Squawk parrotspeak

Squish stepping in thick oozy mud

Shush librarianspeak

Slash foiled again

Scribble the sound of writing

Spritz what a hose does

Shing unsheathing a sword

Sigh a meloncholy air release

Swirl wind in an eddy

Smash hulk’s fist crushing a car

Schlamiel your shoe’s heel scuffling on the sidewalk outside of Hasenfeffer Incorporated

Swipe zipping a card through the reader begrudgingly

Scrape fingernails on a plate

Shik-shik cocking a gun

Squeegee the sound of a sponge wiping a windshield

Smoosh crushing a spider

Shikka the sound of a running cockroach

Snip what scissors say

Slop lousy lunch food hitting your plate

Squirt a small burst of water

Shonk sheathing your sword

Spitoon tobacco juice hitting a containment recepticle

Shudder a body-wide quiver

Shiver what timbers do

Snitch the annoying whisper of a tattletale

Swizzle flinging colored sugar from a straw

Stab what a knife says

Sprinkle using your fingers to distribute small particles

Strum run your fingers along guitar strings

Saw quick sawing motion sounds

T

Tick Tock clockspeak

Ting tapping a spoon on a glass to get everyone’s attention

Tsk the clicking tongue of a shameful mother

Tchakka vibrating your tongue over your outstetched lower lip

Thwip an arrow going into a straw target

Thunk an arrow going into someone’s chest

Thud getting hit in the head with a mallet

Tweet birds circling your head after getting hit

Tap deliberate rhythmic toe or finger habit

Thwack an arrow with a message attached hitting your chest

Tip-toe the rhythmic sound of sneaking on toes end

Thum plucking a banjo

Tinkle a small bit of water on the ground

Tingle what Peter Parker’s spider sense does

Trickle the last bit of a tinkle

Twang the string of the bow after you shoot

Tikka keyboard typing

Thib the sound of a plucking string

Thip sneaky sounds on tippy toes

Thong The sound of plucking a G string

Toot what a tugboat says

Tween a richocet

Tah-Dah imitating a band’s final flourish

Tonka a small metal truck toy going down stairs

Trump slamming your winning cards on the table

U

Uowow what a growling mountain lion says

Urgh a groan when you lift a heavy object

Ugh a groan when you eat something gross

V

Vroom the sound of a speeding car

(Repeated sound of a car is Deja Vroom)

Vdddrrr the sound of a dentist drill

W

Whack to try something or hit a tree with an axe

Whomp something big hitting… (there it is)

Wham something mid-sized hitting

Whoosh something big just missing you

Whimper a soft whine

Whine a prolonged whimper

Wheeze the lungs of a 300 pound jogger

Whap a quick mild slap to the head

Whisper the sound of hushed voices

Whip the sound of punishment

Whump a cat falling off a bookshelf on carpet

Whiff a quick sniff

Waft odor in motion

Whitish whisper the sound of a whip

Whiz to speed by fastly

Whallop a harder slap to the head

Wing the sound of a bullet grazing you

Wing Ning the sound of dirt bikes

Wretch the sound of vomit

Wooooo a sports freak in a bar

Whirl water or wind in a circular movement

Woo-woo Mr. Rogers imitating a train

Woop the alarm of a submarine before diving

Wink closing one eye quickly -or- the sound of a plastic chip flipped on a pile of other chips

Waffle flopping around on the floor

Wiffle swinging wildly with a plastic toy bat

Wrinkle the sound of wadding up clothes

X

Xing! the zip of a deer in a deer XING

Xxxxxt! the sound of a mad scientist electric antenna

Y

Yack a pukey cat

Yawn the sound of boredom

Yodel to wangle ones tongue and throat in a country-swiss-miss kinda way

Yelp a dog tail in peril

Yeeyee trying to start a car with a dead battery

Z

Zoom something moving faster than the eye

Zip what a zipper says

Zap what a lazer says

Zing what zip gives you

Zonk to be struck with a brilliant idea

Sounds upon themselves: Or indicative of what is going on, products

Sweep

Spank

Spitoon

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Flip Flop

Poof

Flop

Swish

Flush

Chaching

Bling

Vroom

Bungee

Boom

Fump

Barroom

Kong

King

Wisk

Boeing

Wing

Fling