English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 81: Onomatopoeic words

Word List
  • buzz
  • clang
  • click
  • clip-clop
  • crash
  • dash
  • gash
  • groan
  • growl
  • grumble
  • grumpy
  • mash
  • meow
  • moan
  • moo
  • roar
  • smash
  • spit out
  • splash
  • spray
  • sprinkle
  • spurt
  • tweet
  • wheeze
  • whistle
  • whizz
  • bash
Exercises

81.1 ‣ Match the verbs and the animals which make the sound. Some of the verbs are not given on the opposite page.

  1. cat
  2. hen _____
  3. sheep _____
  4. snake _____
  5. dog _____
  6. bee _____
  7. small bird _____
  8. lion _____
  1. a) roar
  2. b) growl
  3. c) buzz
  4. d) purr
  5. e) tweet
  6. f) hiss
  7. g) cluck
  8. h) bleat

81.2 ‣ Look at B opposite and insert the missing letters.

  1. The plant looked very dry, so I rayed some water on the leaves.
  2. Old Mrs Jenks had bronchitis and was _____eezing all the time.
  3. I heard the sound of a horse _____ip-_____opping along the road.
  4. Brightly coloured insects _____izzed around our heads as we walked through the jungle.
  5. Stop _____umbling about everything and try to enjoy yourself!
  6. She d_____ed out of the door and ran down the street.
  7. After the accident, oil _____urted from the pipe and polluted the river.
  8. As I was carrying my computer to my new office, I b_____ed it against the door and damaged it.

81.3 ‣ Fill the gaps with words from the opposite page.

  1. The cat was because it wanted food. After it had eaten, it _____ with contentment and fell asleep.
  2. _____ on the 'copy' symbol, then you can copy the text to a new file.
  3. Everyone _____ in despair when they heard the bad news.
  4. The car had _____ into a wall and was badly damaged, but luckily no one was hurt.
  5. Do you like your potatoes fried or shall I _____ them for you?
  6. The boy had a _____ on his knee and blood was pouring from it.

81.4 ‣ Answer the questions.

  1. What things do people normally sprinkle on food?
  2. Which would make a clang if it hit a hard surface, a piece of wood or a piece of metal?
    _____
  3. If someone growls at you, are they probably happy or angry with you?
    _____
  4. Can you whistle? If so, when would you do it?
    _____
  5. What things make you grumpy?
    _____
  6. What might you do if you put some food into your mouth and it tasted very bad?
    _____

81.5 ‣

Over to you

Which of the sounds listed opposite exist in your language? Do they have similar associations?
Answer Key
A ‣ What are onomatopoeic words?

Onomatopoeic words are those which seem to sound like their meaning. The most obvious examples are verbs for the noises which animals make.


  1. cows moo

  2. cats meow and purr

  3. lions roar

  4. bees buzz

  5. small birds tweet

B ‣ Letters, sounds and their associations

Certain combinations of sounds have particular associations in English.

  1. gr- at the beginning of a word can suggest something unpleasant or miserable, e.g.
    She was groaning with pain. [make a deep sound forced out by pain or despair]
    Everyone was grumbling about the quality of the food. [complain in a bad-tempered way]
    Don't be so grumpy! [bad-tempered]
    The teacher growled angrily at the boys. [make a deep, threatening sound, like an angry dog]
  2. cl- at the beginning of a word can suggest something sharp and/or metallic, e.g.
    Click on 'log in' to enter the website. [make a short sharp sound]
    There was a loud clang as the metal bar hit the stone floor. [make a loud ringing noise]
    Horses go dip-clop on the road.
  3. sp- at the beginning of a word can suggest water or other liquids or powders, e.g.
    She splashed water over her face to wake herself up. [cause a liquid to fly about in drops]
    The meat was horrible and she spat it out. [send liquid or food out from the mouth]
    I never use hair sprays. [to spray = send liquid through the air in tiny drops either by the wind or some instrument]
    He sprinkled sugar on his breakfast cereal and ate it quickly. [scatter small drops]
    Water was spurting out of the broken pipe. [come out in a sudden burst]
  4. wh- at the beginning of a word often suggests the movement of air, e.g.
    He whistled and the horse ran towards him. [a high-pitched noise made by forcing air or steam through a small opening]
    Suddenly a large insect whizzed over my head and scared me. [make the sound of something rushing through air]
    Old Mr Banks wheezed as he climbed the stairs. [breathe noisily especially with a whistling sound in the chest]
  5. -ash at the end of a word can suggest something fast and violent, e.g.
    smash [break violently into small pieces]
    dash [move fast or violently]
    crash [suddenly strike violently and noisily]
    bash (strike heavily so as to break or injure]
    mash (make soft or pulpy by beating or crushing]
    gash [a long deep cut or wound]


  1. a smashed window

  2. a car crash

  3. sausages and mashed potato

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