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When you read the word 'buzz', you can hear the sound of the bee.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds make writing come alive. This KS2 English quiz explores onomatopoeia, from buzzing bees to crashing waves.

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Fascinating Fact:

Cats "meow," dogs "woof," and cows "moo," proving animals are natural poets.

In KS2 English, pupils discover how onomatopoeic words make writing more expressive. These words mimic real sounds to help readers hear the action in their minds.

Key Terms

Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates a real sound, like "bang," "sizzle," or "splash".
Sound Effect: A noise used to create a specific feeling or image in writing.
Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, what you can see, hear, or feel.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What does onomatopoeia mean?

Onomatopoeia means using words that sound like the noise they describe, such as "buzz" for a bee or "pop" for a balloon.

Why is onomatopoeia used in writing?

It helps readers imagine and hear the sounds in a story or poem, making the writing more lively and fun to read.

Can you give examples of onomatopoeic words?

Yes. Words like "clang," "hiss," "crunch," "whisper," and "boom" are all onomatopoeic because they imitate real sounds.

Try These Related Quizzes

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1 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
She dropped the shoe to the floor with a satisfying thud.

dropped

floor

satisfying

thud

'Thud' is the sound the shoe makes when it hits the floor.

2 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
Hearing the unexpected tinkle of ice in a glass made him suddenly realise he was thirsty.

tinkle

ice

glass

thirsty

We can almost hear the 'tinkle of ice'. Would the phrase 'clink of ice' sound the same?

3 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
The lorries continued down the road with a rumble and a roar.

lorries, continued

down, road

road, roar

rumble, roar

The words 'rumble' and 'roar' give a good impression of the sounds lorries make. Compare this to motorbikes 'zooming'. When using onomatopoeia, choose your words carefully to create the effect you want.

4 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
The crisp leaves crunched underfoot as we ran through the park.

leaves

crunched

underfoot

park

Using the word 'crunched' helps us to imagine the sound of the leaves.

5 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
When she was ill, she thought she could hear murmuring and whispering coming from the room next door.

ill, thought

she, whispering

thought, murmuring

murmuring, whispering

Many people hear strange sounds when they have a fever.

6 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
Overnight, the tiny trickle from the leaking pipe had become a gushing waterfall.

Overnight, leaking

trickle, leaking

trickle, gushing

gushing, waterfall

'Trickle' and 'gushing' give you two contrasting impressions of the sound of the water leaking from the pipe.

7 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
The balloon burst with a loud pop.

balloon

with

loud

pop

That's the sound the balloon makes when it bursts.

8 .

Find the examples of onomatopoeia in the following sentence.
She heard the snip of the scissors and then her long-treasured hair slithered to the floor.