Which line is an example of onomatopoeia?

Which line is an example of onomatopoeia?

• A. Grandma clucked like a hen as she fussed over the sick child
• B. Eric is a monster on the field
• C. The dictionary definition of a word
• D. Buzz!

Answer: (D)

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a real sound. Buzz! is the best example because it is a word that directly imitates a buzzing sound and is used as an exclamation, giving you a sense of hearing the noise itself. The other lines describe sounds or ideas rather than presenting a sound as a word: clucked describes the act of making a sound, but it’s a verb, not the sound word itself; the field line uses imagery or metaphor, not a sound word; and the dictionary line is just a definition, not a sound.

Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a real sound. Buzz! is the best example because it is a word that directly imitates a buzzing sound and is used as an exclamation, giving you a sense of hearing the noise itself. The other lines describe sounds or ideas rather than presenting a sound as a word: clucked describes the act of making a sound, but it’s a verb, not the sound word itself; the field line uses imagery or metaphor, not a sound word; and the dictionary line is just a definition, not a sound.