Written Sound
Onomatopoeia Dictionary
Words that sound like the thing they mean: Imitative words. From the Greek "onoma" (name) and "poiein" (to make)
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aaht aahht bloooot

sounds of busy city horns (cars) MAD magazine

automotive tone

aaugh

Exclaimation of dismay, commonly used, and originaly created by the Peanuts gang by Charles Schulz. Used frequently by Charlie Brown in the following situations: Losing a Baseball game, Having the football pulled away by Lucy, In an embarrassing situation. Also used by other members of the peanuts gang and can be used as a roaring sound to scare someone. 1) Linus: I told her about how you're madly in love with her, Charlie Brown: Aaugh!! 2) Snoopy: It's not the things that go 'bump' in the night that scare me. It's the things that go 'AAUGH!'. Urban dictionary

dismay pain embarrassment comics

achoo

sound of sneezing. More sneezing sounds

human disease

ack-ack-ack-ackawoooo-ack-ack-ack

Fox vocalization. Rarely heard guttural chattering with occasional yelps and howls, mostly heard when animals are in close proximity to one another. Popular Science

ah uh ah uh

sound of a dog panting. Find more panting dog sounds. ref

ah-choo

sound of sneezing. More sneezing sounds

human disease

ah-ooh-ga

other spellings: ah-ooo-ga, ah-ooh-gah, oo-ga. 1. Klaxon sound signaling "dive" in 1940's US navy submarines ref 2. Sound produced by horn on antique automobiles such as Ford Model-A ref1, ref2

automotive horn

ar rooff

dog barking (Doggies by Sandra Boynton) More dog vocalizations

aroo

the sound made by a wolf, when howling

animal

atchoo

sound of sneezing. More sneezing sounds

human disease

babbler

large family of bird species. Example: the gray-crowned babbler (Australia), also sometimes called the yahoo, after one of its calls. The name babbler or chatterer may come from the birds' continuous raucous babbling/chattering when in groups. about this bird

animal bird

badaboom

explosion. Find more explosions

explosion

bamf

BAMF in the Marvel comic books represents the sound of X-Men character Nightcrawler when he transports himself. The sound is caused by air rushing into the area where Nightcrawler's body once was

misc gas movement

baroom

explosion. Find more explosions

explosion

bazinga

interjection similar in meaning to fooled you! or gotcha! after a prank. It first appeared in the tv sitcom The Big Bang Theory and is used by the character named Sheldon. It probably comes from the word zing and ba and a may just have been added for added effect. See video of Bazinga!-moments

human television series comedy

beep

bird , automobile horn, or computer generated tone. "Beep beep!" is also the signature call of the Road Runner character (a bird) in the Looney Tunes cartoons. Find more tones

animal bird automotive tone

beep beep beep beep beep beep whirrrffftt bonk

Sound of a forklift (From Diggers go by Steve Light). All caps in the book BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP WHIRRRFFFTT BONK

engine lift truck automotive

beep beep beep beep screeeech ruuurrrump pa-lump

Sounds made by a dump truck (Diggers go by Steve Light, all caps in the book BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP SCREEEECH RUUURRRUMP PA-LUMP

truck dump rubble dirt stone sand engine

blab

loose chatter. Also: blabber

human

blabber

Loose chatter. also: blab

bllgh blllgggh blllllgggghh

(automotive) sound of boiling coolant Cartalk

engine automotive liquid water

blop

sound a large serving of mashed potatoes makes when it hits the plate (also a corresponding measurement of same) (ref)

food hit spoon

blurp

sound of a horn (from "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" by Dr. Seuss)

music

boo

1. used to express derision, disapproval 2. Used to startle someone, when said loudly and abruptly

human

boo-hoo

crying

human

boom

1. deep, hollow sound, explosion. Find more explosion words 2. verb for the sound produced by the (male) bittern, a bird species, to attract the females and establish their territory. each male has a unique voice. the boom of the male bittern is the lowest-pitched and the most far-carrying song produced by any European bird. it is written as "oonk-a-lunk" or "punk-er-lunk" and can be heard up to 5 km away in the right weather conditions. about this bird

explosion animal bird

boooooooooooo

(automotive) sound of a bad turbo. Cartalk

engine automotive

boop

A light tap or bump on the nose in a cute way. This word is an ideophone, meaning that it evokes the idea of sound to describe phenomena that do not necessarily have sound. While not technically onomatopoeia, it is used like onomatopoeia. know your meme

animal body meme

boosh

A word that describes the sound of an explosion; an expression used to express awesomeness. Ex. (1) We lit the gas can on fire, and it went "BooSH!". (2) When Tamera aced the test, we heard her shout, "BooSH!" in celebration. Urban Dictionary - Thanks to students of Ms. Lane's 7th grade class! Find more explosions

explosion human

buffoon

(possibly of imitative origin) clown, may stem from allusion to puffing out cheeks as a comic gesture

gas misc

bum! brrum! brrrumble!!!!

Sound of a big bass drum. From the children's book Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Womp. Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers, 2012 Candlewick Press

music

bumble

to blunder, from Middle English bomblen (to boom)

movement

bumblebee

A bumblebee (also spelled as bumble bee) is any member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. They are characterized by are characterised by black and yellow body hairs, often in bands. Etymonline: 1520s, replacing M.E. humbul-be, alt. by assoc. with M.E. bombeln "to boom, buzz," echoic, from PIE base *kem "to hum," echoic.

bwoom

explosion Find more explosion words

explosion

bwwob bwwwobbubwub

Sound of a car engine low on coolant Cartalk

automotive engine

cha-cha-cha

a fast rhythmic ballroom dance of Latin-American origin with a basic pattern of three steps and a shuffle. The name is derived from the rhythm of the guiro (scraper) and the shuffling of the dancers' feet

music

chitter

to twitter or chatter (high-pitched sounds), like a bird, or raccoon

animal bird

choo-choo

small children's word for train (steam engine)

engine

chooga chooga chooga

steam engine or train. Click here for more train sounds

engine movement

chortle

laughter, gleeful chuckle, chuckling and snorting. Ususally designated as a description of a weird laugh, but a chortle can be a laugh you make when you REALLY enjoy something. Often used in British comic "the Dandy and the Beano" or "Beano book", e.g. Dennis the Menace's annoying habit of guffawing at his own actions: "Ha ha! Look Gnasher! Chortle!"

laughter

Chrrrick chrrrick chrrrick chrrrrick

Putting butter on toast with a knife. From the children's book Squeak, Rumble, Whomp Whomp Womp. Wynton Marsalis & Paul Rogers, 2012 Candlewick Press

metal eat_drink

chuck-will's-widow

(Caprimulgus carolinensis) nocturnal bird of the nightjar family Caprimulgidae, similar to the whip-poor-will, found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods. It migrates to the West Indies, Central America, and northwestern South America. voice: Call a loud "Chuck-will's-widow," with the first "chuck" being quiet and inaudible at a distance. about this bird

animal bird

chug chugchug chugchug mmmoooosh

sound of a steamroller (Diggers go by Steve Light. All caps in the book CHUG CHUGCHUG CHUGCHUG MMMMooooSH)

engine equipment road

CHUGGA chugga chugga CHUGGA chugga chugga CHoo CHooooooO

steam engine or train. from this book:
Trans go, by Steve Light
Click here for more train sounds

machine movement

chumma chumma chumma, hufft hufft, falump

Sounds made by an excavator (From Diggers go by Steve Light). In the book all caps CHUMMA CHUMMA CHUMMA, HUFFT HUFFT FALUMP

engine metal digging

clack

1. chatter, prattle 2. to make an abrupt striking sound or series of sounds, such as footsteps 3. cry of a bird , especially fowl. see also: cackle, cluck 4. Sound of a late 19th century gun being closed after loading, according to a reply to a yahoo!Answers post about the sound of old guns

animal bird weapon metal

clang

1. loud ringing metallic sound. For example clang or klang is often used for when an aluminum baseball bat hits the baseball 2. to clang, verb for harsh cry of a bird (as a crane or goose), 3. to clang, verb for the sound of fire bells (features in the poem "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe).

hard_hit animal bird metal

click

1. slight sharp sound, eg. camera making a photo. 2. nonvocal suction sound in some languages, 3. to talk noisily or rapidly. The sound made by dolphins is also called "clicking".
In the media: click it or ticket is the name and slogan of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration campaign aimed at increasing the use of seat belts among young people in the United States. Also: "clunk click, every trip (click the seatbelt on after clunking the car door closed; UK campaign) and: "click, clack, front and back" (click, clack of connecting the seatbelts; AU campaign)

human animal automotive

cluck

1. bird : the peculiar sound of a brooding hen 2. To make a clicking sound with the tongue

animal bird

cock-a-doodle-doo

call of a rooster, usually in the morning

animal bird

common poor-will

(Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, the nightjars, found from British Columbia and southeastern Alberta, through the western United States to northern Mexico. Call: a loud "poor-will." about this bird

animal bird

coo

bird , characteristic note of doves and pigeons

animal bird

crackle

1. To make a succession of slight sharp snapping noises: a fire crackling in the wood stove. 2. To show liveliness, energy, or intensity: a book that crackles with humor. 3. To become covered with a network of fine cracks; craze. v.tr. 1. To crush (paper, for example) with sharp snapping sounds. 2. To cause (china, for example) to become covered with a network of fine cracks.
in the media: Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. They are named after the sound rice krispies make when they are dropped in a bowl of milk

croon

1. To hum or sing softly. 2. To sing popular songs in a soft, sentimental manner. 3. (Scottish) To roar or bellow. Possibly of imitative origin. Originally "to bellow like a bull" as well as "to utter a low, murmuring sound" Etymonline

human music animal

crow

to utter the cry of a rooster

animal bird

crunch, crunch, crunch

sound of footsteps on gravel, stones

human stones

cuckcoo

cuckoo, bird species Cuculus Canorus, named by its cry. Also, a type of clock named after the bird. link1 (bird), link2 (clock)

animal bird

d'oh

interjection used to express sudden recognition of a foolish blunder or an ironic turn of events, popularized by The Simpsons tv cartoon series, in which main character Homer uses it often. also: doh.

human

dibble dibble dopp dopp

sound of rain (from Mr. Brown can moo, can you? by Dr. Seuss). More rain sounds

weather liquid water

didgeridoo

(probably of imitative origin) indigenous Australian instrument, of imitative origin. link (video)

music

dirnt

Sound of a bass-guitar. From: Mike Dirnt, the bassist of the rock band Green Day. Dirnt's birth name is Michael Ryan Pritchard. According to Wikipedia, at school, he would would often play "air-bass", pretending to pluck the strings, while making the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt". As a result, his schoolmates began to call him "Mike Dirnt". See also Yahoo Answers. Related: wub wub, wob wob and other sounds of bass in dubstep music.

doo-wop

style in vocal rhythm and blues music from the 1950-1960, in which ad-lib syllables such as "doo wop, doo wah" are sung in harmony link (video)

music

dook

1. sound of drinking from a bottle ('dook, dook, dook' as in webcomic Scary Go Round) 2. verb: to dook, clucking or chuckling sound made by ferrets when excited or happy. More about ferrets

animal

duh

interjection used to express actual or feigned ignorance or stupidity, also used derisively to indicate that something just stated is all too obvious or self-evident

human

eastern whipbird

(Psophodes olivaceus) bird species found in eastern Australia. The Whipbirds' long "whip" call, one of the most characteristic sounds of the Australian bush, is performed as a duet. The male makes the drawn out whip crack and the female usually follows quickly with a sharp "choo-choo". about this bird

animal bird

eeeoooeeeooo

siren

tone

eek eek

1. monkey, mouse or rat vocalization 2. sound of a squaky shoe (from "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" by Dr. Seuss) 3. human exclamation uttered when scared or distressed

animal

Eeyore

Eeyore is the name of the donkey from Winnie-the-Pooh. The name is onomatopoeia for the braying sound made by a donkey, typically written as hee haw in American English.
Eeyore

fa-thud

sound of someone hitting the floor after falling

fighting punch hard_hit hit

fart

(possibly of imitative origin, but debatable) English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. Onomatopoeia for farts have been suggested in various internet forums in response to questions of people who needed a word to describe the sound: eg. here and here. The suggested words include brrt, braaah, THPPTPHTPHPHHPH (Calvin and Hobbes), phhhhhhrt, PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP, pff, prtrtrtrgurtrufnasutututut, prrrt, PFFT!, PHHhhhh..., SPLPLPLLLP, WHoooooffff, poot, prrrrrrrvt, scraeft, ppppppwwarrrrppppp, pllllllllllllllllllllllllloooooooooooaaa..., RRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPP, fuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrt, thhhppbbbb, verrrrrrrrrnnnnnntttttt, hooooooooooooooooooooooooonk, pbpbpbpbp, frr frr frrrrrr rampooooooooo ag, pppppppptttttttttttttttttttttttt, flurpppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp... Also, according to many responders it depends on the fart (farting can make many possible sounds).

human gas

Ffffffffffffff

1. blowing on hot soup 2. flatulence (fart) 3. air running out of a tire

gas air eat_drink automotive food

Ffffkrrrrshhzzzwooooom..woom..woooom..

Sounds of a lightsaber (Star Wars movies) Reddit

weapon saber sword

flip-flop

flip-flops are a simple footwear named by sound produced when walking in them

movement human

floovb, floovb, vwomp, vwomp

sound of a bad tire of a car. Cartalk

automotive engine movement rubber

flush

to flood or spray thoroughly with water or other liquid, as for cleansing purposes. flush can have many meanings but in the sense of flooding with liquid it can be seen as imitative

liquid rinse

gada, gada, gada

sound of drums ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

music

gibberish

1. gibberish is rapid, inarticulate, often foolish sounding speech, 2. according to this wikipedia entry, it is also a verb for the sound made by apes/monkeys (as in "dogs bark, monkeys gibber")

human animal

giggle

laugh in a manner suggestive of foolish levity or uncontrollable amusement

human laughter

gobbledygook

(noun) jargon or highly intricate language that is hard to understand or incomprehensible. Comes from gobble, the vocalization of turkeys. Wikipedia

gr gr k k grk

Sound of scraping and hammering in rocky material at an archeological / paleontological excavation. from:
Dinosaur King Vol 1, by Yohei Sakai. All caps in the book: GR GR K K GRK

stone carving metal digging

grrrakka kkakkakkakkakkakkakk akkakkakk kkakka akk

Sounds made by a jackhammer (From Diggers go by Steve Light). In the book all caps GRRRAKKA KKAKKAKKAKKAKKAKKAKK AKKAKKAKKAKK AKKAKKAKK AKKA KKAKKA AKK

engine metal

guff

1. foolish nonsense 2. annoying or playful criticism

human conversation

gurrhr

cat vocalization, as used in James Joyce's Ulysses More cat sounds

animal

gwuf, gwuf, gwuf

sound of footstep ("Pedro and the padre", by Verna Aardema)

human movement

ha-ha-ha-HA-ha

emphasis on the fourth Ha (louder and higher pitch) and first three ha's gradually go up in pitch. signature laugh of cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. Youtube

HA-ha!

signature laugh of Nelson, a character from The Simpsons. Nelson is a bully at Bart Simpson's school, and he laughs at anyone who is in danger. His laugh is also written as "Haw-Haw!". link to sound



human laughter

ha!

1. laughter. not a boisterous laugh, but amused. 2. Also an exclamation used by the good guy jumping out of the bushes to suprise a villain

laughter

hah-hah-hah

sound of a dog panting. also: hu hu hu hu, ah uh ah uh, heh-heh-heh. (these were among the replies to a question posted on Yahoo answers)

heh-heh-heh

sound of a dog panting. also: hu hu hu hu, hah-hah-hah, ah uh ah uh. (Yahoo answers)

heh, heh!

laughter. sometimes perverted, or meaning "that's not really funny". Usually, "heh" is a quiet laughing sound, not laughing out loud. Heh heh may also be a good transcription of the signature laugh of Beavis, from cartoon Beavis and Butthead. Sometimes simply a more faint, private laugh

laughter

hissssssssss ssss ss

(automotive) sound a of a failing brake booster

engine automotive

honk

1. bird vocalization (e.g. goose), 2. car-horn

animal bird automotive

hoo hoo

bird vocalization: the cry of an owl, also: hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo, twit twoo

animal bird

hoo hoo hoo hoo

1. monkey vocalization, also: ook, hoo hoo hoo hoo, oo oo oo, 2. the sound of wind, 3. the sound of a ghost (2 and 3: in the poem "The congo" by Vachel Lindsay "...Like the wind. Hoo, Hoo, Hoo. Listen to the yell of Leopold's ghost..."

animal weather

hoopoe

name of bird species. imitative origin, but the hoopoe's call is actually a trisyllabic "oop-oop-oop". link (video)

animal bird

hooray

exclamation used to express joy, approval, or encouragement. also: hurrah

hoot

bird vocalization, usually the cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo

animal bird

houyhnhnm

Pronounced "Whin-ems," like a horse's whinny, the Houyhnhnm are a race of intelligent horses in book 4 of Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels

animal misc

hrrooonnh

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: muuhhhrrr, rrrruuuurrrr, moo, low, huuuooohar. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

hu hu hu hu

sound of a dog panting. also: ah uh ah uh; hah-hah-hah; heh-heh-heh>/a> (Yahoo answers )

huh huh huh

laughter. signature laugh of Butt-head from cartoon Beavis and Butthead



laughter

hurrah

exclamation used to express joy, approval, or encouragement. also: hooray

huuuooohar

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: rrrruuuurrrr, moo, low, hrrooonnh, muuhhhrrr. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

jug

sound of palm-muted power chords on an electric guitar. used in playing "air-guitar". often repetitive (jug jug jug - jug jug jug), typical of the musical style. as in Foo Fighters - "One by One". see also: neow, whockah, bwow-chcka-bwow

music

kaaapooooom

sound of a car running over a road safety bump (ref)

car automotive movement hit

kaboom

explosion. Find more explosions.

explosion

kata-kata

sound of running footsteps ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

human movement

kirik

sound of breaking metal ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

metal crack

klopp klopp klopp

sound of a horse, walking (from "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" by Dr. Seuss)

animal

knock-knock

sound of striking with a sounding blow. As in knocking on a door

hard_hit

kong

sound of food bowl hitting the head (dog (Odie) getting hit on the head with a food bowl, "Garfield", Jim Davis)

hard_hit

kookaburra

The kookaburra is a genus of birds native to australia whose name is imitative of its call. The call sounds a bit like hysterical human laughter, or maniacal cackling, depending on the species. more info, video

animal bird laughter

kra, ka, ka, hi

sound of drums ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

music

kreeen

sound of a small door opening. from:
Dragon Ball Z Vol 1, by Akira Toriyama

movement squeaky peep rusty hinge

kut-kut-kut

sound of a hen, clucking ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

animal bird

kwok

sound of an earthenware pot being smashed to pieces on the ground ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

hard_hit

lub-dub-lub-dub-lub-dub ...

Sound of a beating heart. This seems the most common spelling, used in medical texts. Also: dup-dup; ba bum; plop-plop; thud-thud; pop-pop; Sometimes the heart is said to throb and throb is also thought to have imitative origin. (Yahoo Answers, 1, 2)

human disease pounding pump heartbeat

mkgnao

cat vocalization, as used in James Joyce's Ulysses. also spelled mrkgnao; mrkrgnao

mlem

Sound of sticking out one's tongue, especially to lap up something to drink. Popular with cat pictures on the internet. Blogpost about the difference between mlem and blep

cat meme animal tongue

moan

1. long low inarticulate murmur, 2. (less common) word describing the sound of doves (as in "The moan of doves in immemorial elms" in the poem "Come Down, O Maid" by Alfred Lord Tennyson), 3. (less common) the sound of wind (in the poem "the night wind", by Eugene Field: "... For the wind will moan in its ruefullest tone:

human human pain disease weather

moo

cow vocalization

animal

moob

sound of an "implosion bomb". In a classic Uncle Scrooge tale by Carl Barks, Gyro Gearloose invented an "implosion bomb" that sucked up material and compacted it into a neat pile. Intended for litter collection, the Written Sound Effect was "MooB", explicitly stated to be "BooM" backwards. TvTropes

misc explosion weapons

muuhhhrrr

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: rrrruuuurrrr, moo, low, hrrooonnh, huuuooohar. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

nnn...nnn...nnn

sound of a crying dog. from this book:
Doggies, by Sandra Boynton
Click here for more dog vocalizations

nnneeaoowww

sound of a propeller plane flying overhead (ref)

plane movement engine

northern flicker

bird species name (Colaptes auratus). medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, is one of the few woodpecker species that migrates, and is the only woodpecker that commonly feeds on the ground. The song of the Northern Flicker is a loud wick wick wick wick or (according to some sources) a squeaky flick-a, flick-a as in its name. about this bird

animal bird

om nom nom

vocal sound produced while chewing big bites of something tasty in a hurry, like the way Sesame Street's cookie monster eats (end of clip). Here's another example. Find more chewing noises

eat_drink animal

oo oo oo

monkey vocalization, also: ook, hoo hoo hoo hoo

animal

oof

sound uttered by someone who is punched in the stomach. TheCrosswordSolver

human hit

ooh

interjection used to express amazement, joy, or surprise

human

ook

monkey vocalization, also: hoo hoo hoo hoo

animal

oompah

the sound produced by a large brass instrument. see also: umpa

music

oomph

1. strength, power (you need to put more oomph in your story) 2. sex appeal 3. a low pitched grunting or thudding sound (oomph! grunted the boxer when punched in the gut).

human conversation power hit

oonse

also spelled: untz. Sound of the repetitive beat in rave music (a kind of electronic dance music)

oooaughoaua

coughing sound, used by a recurring character named Lorraine from the TV show Mad TV. She makes this sound when clearing her throat, also perhaps in disgust and/or satisfaction as well as in times of awkward silence to ease the tension. It is normally accompanied with a saying such as "god that's cute" while she unknowingly destroys the property of others when checking things out. Laymen can make this sound as well in their everyday life to add comedic relief to a conversation making references to Lorraine, as well as to describe something disgusting. Video: Clip 1, Clip 2, Clip 3.

human

oops

interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: woops, whoops

human

owl

Nocturnal bird of prey. The name is thought to have imitative origins, imitating the owl's vocalizations. Wikipedia

bird animal hoo

owooooah

sound of a coyote howling ("Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from Ayutla, Mexico", by Verna Aardema)

animal

peck peck peck

sound of a woodpecker rapping with its beak on a tree Lucy Cousins children's book

animal bird

pee-oo-wee

bird species name, especially the eastern wood pewee. about this bird

animal bird

pewee

Any of eight species of birds of the genus Contopus (family Tyrannidae); it is named for its call, which is monotonously repeated from an open perch. In North America a sad, clear "pee-oo-wee" announces the presence of the eastern wood pewee (C. virens), while a blurry "peeurrr" is the call of the western wood pewee (C. sordidulus). about this bird. also spelled peewee

animal bird

PHCKSHIIIIiooW

Ignition of a lightsaber in Star Wars movies. Also: Tshww, pssshhew Reddit
Lightsaber

saber weapon

phooey

interjection used to express repudiation or disgust

human

piaaaak

sound of an automatic glass door opening (ref)

movement door

pip

1. to peep or chirp, as a chick does. 2. A short, high-pitched radio signal 3. pip-pip-pip: sound of footsteps ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

animal bird movement

Plip - plip - ploop - plip - plip - plip - plip - ploop

sound of light summer rain hitting the roof (ref). More rain sounds

liquid water rain weather house

pock

dry hit, such as when a wooden baseball bat hits a baseball.

poof

1. interjection used to indicate a sudden vanishing: The magician waved a wand, and poof! The birds disappeared! (often with a little cloud of smoke) In this sense poof may be imitative. 2. effeminate man or male homosexual. In this sense poof is not imitative

gas air movement misc

poomb

Sound of an old pistol firing, according to a post on Yahoo!Answers

weapon metal explosion

pooof

Chewing gum bubble popping. from:
Dinosaur King Vol 1, by Yohei Sakai

food blow

poop

Children's euphemism meaning excrement. This word is thought to be of imitative origin

human animal

pop

sound of rapping, knocking, or explosive. in the media: Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. They are named after the sound rice krispies make when they are dropped in a bowl of milk. Find more explosions.

explosion hard_hit light_hit

potato-potato-potato

Sound of a poorly running motorcycle engine. The sound emphasis is on the 'p' and 't' rather than the vowels. Janet writes: "My sister used the above expression to describing a problem she had on starting a new motorcycle - it was jerking along as if it had 'kangaroo juice' in the tank. She assumed a "Gangnam Style" stance and dance to illustrate it, while saying "there I was going 'potato-potato-potato' - what a show-up!" She says that this expression is often used within her group of motorcycling friends, usually in connection with novice riders, although it may be in use more widely across the UK. The sound emphasis seems to be on the 'p' and 't' rather than the vowels." (thanks Janet!)

engine movement

pssshhew

Ignition of a lightsaber in Star Wars movies. Also: Tshww, PHCKSHIIIIiooW Reddit
Lightsaber

saber weapon

Psssssssss

The sound of a lightsaber being shoved into a door to melt it (Star Wars movies)

saber weapon

ptooey

spitting out something solid such as a cherry pit ("Garfield", Jim Davis)

eat_drink animal

puh-puh-puh

sound of pounding ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

hard_hit

puhVRooPuhHoo puhVRoopuhHoo

Sound of an engine misfire in a car Cartalk

automotive engine

raow

dog barking. from this book:
Doggies, by Sandra Boynton
Click here to find more dog vocalizations

raspberry

short for raspberry tart, rhyming slang for fart: a sound of contempt made by protruding the tongue between the lips and expelling air forcibly to produce a vibration; broadly : an expression of disapproval or contempt. Also "rasp", "razz" or "Bronx cheer". As in "blowing a raspberry", "making a Bronx cheer". Ref: thesneeze , wikipedia.

human gas crack

rooaaarrr

sound of a car when driving fast

engine automotive movement

rrrruuuurrrr

this is one of several suggestions in response to the question of how to write the sound of a bull, on wiki-answers. also: moo, low, hrrooonnh, huuuooohar, muuhhhrrr. if you need a verb: bulls "bellow" (not directly imitative)

animal

ruh-roh

First used by Astro on the cartoon The Jetsons and later by Scooby-Doo in the Scooby-Doo cartoon series; both characters are dogs who speak broken English with the insertion of many r's. Wiktionary

human animal

rump - rump

sound of a washing machine , "[Aredelia] found Starling in the warm laundry room, dozing against the slow rump-rump of a washing machine." (Thomas Harris, Silence of the Lambs, 1988)

machine engine movement

schlik

sound of sliding metal on metal. verb: The metal rings schliked along the rod as I slid the curtain open to peer into the room. (thank you Larry!)

schlip

sound of a person slipping on something, e.g. wet floor ("Garfield", Jim Davis)

movement liquid water

shazam

exclamation used to introduce an extraordinary deed, story, or transformation - - She prayed for his arrival and shazam! There he was. Shazam is also the name of the wizard in Captain Marvel comics and the title of Marvel comic books.

exclamation human voice surprise

shlick shlick shlick

the sound of female masturbation Yahoo answers

shoo

interjection used especially in driving away an unwanted animal

human animal

shoop

sound of a karate kick/chop, also: swah / shwah. from:
Dragon Ball Z Vol 1, by Akira Toriyama
Find more hit/ punch words

hard_hit

shuffle, shuffle, shuffle

footsteps of someone who does not fully lift feet off the ground while walking (old / injured)

walking human

skrrreeek

sound of nails on a blackboard (ref)

nails human school scratch crack

skwee brrumm brrumm skoooooo skooooo

Sounds made by a front loader (Diggers go by Steve Light, all caps in the book SKWEE BRRUMM BRRUMM SKoooooo SKooooO)

engine rubble sand stone dirt metal

snap

1. to make a cracking sound, eg. snapping your fingers, or a camera making a photo (sound of the shutter). in the media: Snap, Crackle, and Pop are the cartoon mascots of Kellogg's breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. They are named after the sound rice krispies make when they are dropped in a bowl of milk 2. the "sound" of someone's pride being hurt. this is another example of "non-auditory onomatopoeia". other examples: bling bling, yoink and shiiin

hard_hit light_hit crack music

snap-hiss

The ignition of a lightsaber in Star Wars novels written by Timothy Zahn. Also: pssshhew, Tshww, PHCKSHIIIIiooW

weapon sword

sneeze

to make an explosive noise to clear the nostrils, probably of imitative origin, see also atchoo

human disease animal

snikt

"snikt" in the Marvel comic books is the written sound of super hero Wolverine's claws popping. Replaced with schlikt during the period he was left without the adamantium covering on his bones.

misc metal weapon

snort

1. cry of a pig, but horses snort too, sometimes 2. the act or sound of sniffing powdered tabacco or cocaine into the nose 3. suppressed laughter, a burst of laughter through the nose - since this is viewed as so embarrassing, when someone snorts with laughter, it's generally at something surprisingly hilarious

laughter animal

splatt

sound of lightning (in "Mr. Brown can moo, can you?" by Dr. Seuss), for the sound of thunder: see also explosion

weather

splosh

make a splashing sound, to make a certain noise or sound, to walk through mud or mire, to cause a liquid to spatter about. also: sploosh

animal movement liquid water

splut

the sound of a pie hitting someone in the face (Garfield (Jim Davis) comic)

eat_drink movement liquid water food wet

spoot

spitting out a mouthful of liquid ("Garfield", Jim Davis)

eat_drink movement liquid water

sputter

1. to spit out or spray particles of saliva or food from the mouth in noisy bursts, 2. to spit out words or sounds in an excited or confused manner, 3. to make sporadic spitting or popping sounds

eat_drink liquid water wet

squelch, squerch

sound of walking through mud. from:
We're going on a bear hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

liquid foot steps

stzsssssss

A beam of light. Poet Gino Severini referred to light as going 'szszszszszsz' and 'stzsssssss'. Willard Bohn, Modern Visual Poetry

light beam

suru suru

sound of noodles being sucked (manga)

human eat_drink

swoosh

Nike brand logo, but also the sound of rushing air or water

movement liquid gas

szszszszszsz

A beam of light. Poet Gino Severini referred to light as going 'szszszszszsz' and 'stzsssssss'. Willard Bohn, Modern Visual Poetry

light beam

tch, tch, tch

sound of chopping off branches of wood ("Sebgugugu the Glutton: A Bantu Tale from Rwanda", by Verna Aardema)

hard_hit light_hit

terwit terwoo

bird vocalization, the cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, whit woo, twit twoo

animal bird

thump

1. to strike or beat with or as if with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound, as in a punch during a fight, or the sound of heavy footsteps 2. a verb for sound made by a big engine, as in thumping, chunking engines going.. (from the poem "engineers" by Jimmy Garthwaite, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett)

hard_hit engine

thwip

Spiderman web shooter

misc weapon

thwoorp

Sound produced by quickly opening a folding fan. Urban Dictionary. Made famous by drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova

tk.tk.tk.tk.tk.tk

sound of a dog's claws as he/she walks on a wooden floor (ref)

animal movement claw hit

tlick

sound of clicking with the tongue ("Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa", by Verna Aardema)

human

tlot tlot

sound of horse's hooves. used in the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hooves, ringing clear;
Tlot tlot, tlot tlot, in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?

animal movement

toc - toc - toc

sound of a woodpecker rapping with his beak on a tree Plays of Edmond Rostand: The Eaglet

toot

to blow or sound an instrument (as a horn)

music

tootle-too

sound of a flute ("the ceremonial band" by James Reeves, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett)

music

Tshww

Ignition of a lightsaber in Star Wars movies. Also: PHCKSHIIIIiooW Reddit
Lightsaber

saber weapon

tu-whu

bird vocalization, the cry of an owl. also: hoot, hoo hoo, terwit terwoo, twit twoo, whit woo

animal bird

twit twoo

bird vocalization, cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo, whit woo

animal bird

umpa

the sound produced by a large brass instrument. see also: oompah

music

untz untz untz

The sound of rave music or the sound a raver makes while raving, the sound of a techno groove

music

varoom

sound of a fast driving car or an explosion (Also the title of a Roy Lichtenstein painting. Find more explosions.

explosion engine automotive movement

voomp

sound of explosive impact (weapon) (features in the Roy Lichtenstein painting "O.K., Hot Shot"). Find more explosions. Find more weapon sounds.

explosion movement weapon

vooRRRR, vooRRR, vooRRR

Engine revving up and down Cartalk

automotive engine

vrau, vrau

Sound of a lightsaber swinging through the air in Star Wars movies. Also: Ffffkrrrrshhzzzwooooom..woom..woooom..
Reddit

saber weapon

vreeeeeeeeeeeeeeew

Sound of a whistle of an old steam locomotive. This is a high-pitched one. A lower-pitched one might do "vroo-vroo"

air engine movement

vroo-vroo

Sound of a whistle of an old steam locomotive. This would be a low-pitched one. A high-pitched one would be more like "vreeeeeeeeeeeeeeew"

gas movement engine

vroom

sound of a car

engine automotive movement

wahoo

interjection used to express exuberance or enthusiasm or to attract attention

human

weeeoooeee

siren

tone

whap

1. to throw one's self quickly, or by an abrupt motion; to turn suddenly; (eg. she whapped down on the floor; the fish whapped over), 2. to beat or strike, 3. a blow, or quick, smart stroke. Find more hit/ punch words

hard_hit

wher, wher, wher

Sound of a chainsaw being started

wood engine saw

whip-poor-will

bird species noted for its call. about this bird

animal bird

whit woo

cry of an owl. also: hoo hoo, hoot, tu-whu, terwit terwoo

animal bird

whockah

sound of palm-muted rhythmic strumming on an electric guitar with wah pedal, as in the intro of Jimi Hendrix’s "Voodoo Chile", for example. often combined with playing "airguitar". see also: neow, jug, bwow-chcka-bwow

music

whoop

1. to cry out or creating a disturbance. Also: whoopee, whoop it up, whoop-de-doo. 2. Sound of a siren (whoop, whoop, whoop)

tone

whooping cough

an infection of the respiratory system caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (or B. pertussis). It's characterized by severe coughing spells that end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in

human disease

whooping crane

bird species name, the tallest North American bird, an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound and call

animal bird

whoops

interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: oops, woops

human

whoosh

a sibilant sound, or a swift movement or flow

movement

woah, oh, oh, oh!

signature laugh of cartoon character Elmer Fudd

laughter

woo-hoo!

signature laugh of cartoon character Daffy Duck, often uttered when Daffy has to escape from someone he has just pulled a prank on

laughter

woo-woo-woo

siren

tone

woof

dog vocalization. Find more dog vocalizations

Woom

Sound of a lightsaber swinging through the air in Star Wars movies. Also:vrãu, vrãu Reddit

saber weapon

woop woop

Sound of a police car in the United States. Police often use the siren intermittently. Also spelled whoop whoop. This onomatopoeia is used in the chorus of the 1993 hip hop track Sound of da Police by KRS-One. Hear a police car

alarm tone music

woops

interjection used typically to express mild apology, surprise, or dismay, also: oops, whoops

human

wub wub

The sound of the signature repetitive bass (wobble bass) in 'dubstep' music (a kind of electronic dance music). Other dubstep sounds: WOB WOB WOB WEB WEEEEEB WEEB WooOB WooooB breeeeaaaaa breaaaaaaa WOBB WOBB, nehnehweeh, YOI YOI YOI WAHBWUHB - ref. Related: The sound of a bass guitar dirnt

wubba lubba dub-dub

Catchphrase used by Rick from the cartoon Rick & Morty Fandom

wuh-uh-uh-uh

the sound of someone muttering, grunting, in protest (Misoso: Once Upon a Time Tales from Africa, by Verna Aardema)

human

wumpth

The sound of solid door closing and the air being pushed out as the door seals. (thanks Peter!)

door air hit

yackety-yak

noisy talk. Alternative spelling: 'yakety yak'. Also the title of a famous song by doo-wop group the Coasters (1958). Coasters

human music

yadda yadda

boring or empty talk - often used interjectionally especially in recounting words regarded as too dull or predictable to be worth repeating. also: yada yada

yahoo

1. interjection used to express positive excitement or to attract attention, also: yoo-hoo, 2. popular name for the Grey-crowned Babbler (see babbler)

human animal bird

yakyakyakyak

sound of a cat eating wet food (ref). More cat sounds

cat animal eatdrink food vocalization

YEEeeEEeeEEeeEEeeEEee!

Sound of a loose belt in a car engine Cartalk

automotive engine

yeeha, yeehaw, yee-haw

the traditional cry of a cowboy, often as an expression of positive excitement, similar to yahoo

human

yoink

the "sound" of someone stealing something. the word is spoken to make obvious or humorous the playful theft of an item in front of others. (e.g. "you shouldn't leave your wallet lying around like that...Yoink!". used often in the cartoon series "the Simpsons")

misc human animal movement

yoo-hoo

interjection used to attract attention, also: yahoo

human

yoooo

the sound of wind (in the poem "the night wind", by Eugene Field: "... For the wind will moan in its ruefullest tone: 'Yoooooooo!', 'Yoooooooo!', 'Yoooooooo!' ...")

weather gas

yummy

highly attractive or pleasing, exclamation to express joy derived from the prospect of eating tasty food

human eat_drink

zap

to destroy or kill by or as if by shooting

weapon

zoom

to speed along with a low hum or buzz. also: to focus a camera on an object using a zoom lens (to 'zoom in' or 'zoom out'), also imitative of sound when motorized.

engine movement

zoomba-zoom

sound of a bass (musical instrument) ("the ceremonial band" by James Reeves, in "Noisy poems" by Jill Bennett)

music

ZooOSH ZooOSH ZooooooOSH DING DING DING

diesel train. from this book:
Trans go, by Steve Light
Click here for more train sounds

locomotive antique old engine


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