Onomatopoeic Words: Animals

Identifying animals by the sounds they make is one of the first things all kids learn to do in their own language. So animal sounds could be the perfect demonstration of the very concept of onomatopoeia.

bleat
(of a sheep or goat) make a characteristic, wavering cry
verb: The tiny lamb was bleating as it searched frantically for its mother.
noun: The bleats of our sheep outside reminded me that I was back on the farm.

buzz
(of an insect) make a low continuous, humming sound
verb: The bee buzzed around the window, trying to find a way to escape.
See also: Objects

chirp
(of a bird) make a short, high-pitched sound
verb: The birds were chirping loudly as it started getting light.
noun: The budgie’s chirps could be heard from the other side of the house.

cluck
(of a hen) make short, low, repeated clicking sounds
verb: The hen clucked frantically as she searched for her lost chick.
noun: The loud clucks from the chicken coop told me all was not okay.

croak
(of a frog) make a deep, hoarse sound
verb: The frog croaked loudly as it jumped into the pond.
noun: I could hear the croaks of the frogs across the garden.

hiss
(of a snake) make a sound like a long ‘s’ to express anger
verb: When the snake started hissing, I knew I was in danger.
noun: The cobra let out a hiss before striking the terrified child.
See also: Humans

honk
(of a goose) make a low, harsh sound
verb: The geese were honking loudly as they searched for crumbs of bread.
noun: The goose let out a honk then turned and walked away.
See also: Objects

meow
(of a cat) make a crying sound, usually for attention or for food
verb: The cat was meowing at the door, waiting to be let in.
noun: I was woken by the cat’s meows and couldn’t get back to sleep.

moo
(of a cow) make a deep and resonant vocal sound
verb: The cows were mooing loudly as they grazed on their grass.
noun: As I entered the barn, the cow greeted me with a loud moo.

neigh
(of a horse) make a loud cry of excitement or fear
verb: The horse neighed loudly, before galloping off into the distance.
noun: The horse let out a neigh of terror as the car came racing towards it.

snap
(of an animal) make an unexpected, audible bite
verb: The dog snapped at Gerald when he tried to stroke its ears.
See also: Humans, Food, Nature

sniff
(of a dog or pig) make a sound drawing air up through the nose
verb: The pigs sniffed the ground, searching for the truffles.
noun: The dog gave a loud sniff and then quickly moved away.
See also: Humans

snort
(of a pig) make an explosive sound by forcing breath from the nose
verb: The pigs snorted loudly as they began to devour their food.
noun: The pig gave a loud snort as I approached the pen.
See also: Humans

squeak
(of a mouse) make a high-pitched crying sound
verb: The mouse squeaked as it scurried across the room.
noun: The mouse let out a terrified squeak when it saw the cat coming towards it.
See also: Objects

squeal
(pig) make a high-pitched sound when afraid
verb: The pig squealed with terror as the farmer tried to catch it.
noun: The piglet gave a squeal when I tried to pick it up.
See also: Humans

tweet
(of a small or young bird) make a gentle, high-pitched chirping sound
verb: The new-born birds were tweeting softly from their nests in the trees.
noun: I could just hear the gentle tweet of a bird in the background.

whimper
(of a dog) make weak intermittent crying sounds to show pain or distress
verb: The puppy started to whimper as soon as I left the house.
noun: The dog let out a whimper as I shut the door behind me.
See also: Humans

woof
(of a dog) make a barking sound
verb: The dog started woofing as I approached the door.
noun: I was unaware that they had a dog until I heard woofs from inside the house.