Onomatopoeia Teaching Resources
Get your students excited about poetry with the fun world of onomatopoeia through our printable worksheets, interactive activities and more teaching resources created by teachers, for teachers!
This curriculum-aligned collection of resources for your poetry analysis lesson plans has been thoroughly reviewed and carefully curated by the expert ELA teachers on the Teach Starter team. That means every printable and digital resource is ready to use in your classroom!
Want to learn more about getting third-, fourth- and fifth-graders hooked on poetry with these fun — and often funny — words? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Onomatopoeia? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Onomatopoeia is a very big word for little people. So how do you explain what it means to your third-graders? Try this kid-friendly definition!
Onomatopoeia is a fancy word that describes when a word sounds like the thing it is describing.
This type of figurative language makes writing more interesting, and it helps the writer set the scene for the reader. It's often used in poetry and comic books.
Onomatopoeia Examples
OK, so that may make sense to some of your learners, but other kids need some more. Onomatopoeia examples, coming right up!
Have you ever noticed that "buzz" sounds like the noise a bee makes? That's onomatopoeia! How about the word "stomp"? Does it sound just like the noise a shoe makes when it hits the floor? That's another example of onomatopoeia!
Here are some more fun onomatopoeia examples, broken out by theme. Why not add them to a word wall in the classroom?:
Sounds From Nature
- Splash
- Buzz
- Tweet
- Chirp
- Croak
- Boom
Sounds That Animals Make
- meow
- woof
- moo
- oink
- quack
- baa
Sounds That Humans Make
- Yawn
- Hiccup
- Sneeze
- Snore
- Burp
Onomatopoeia Pronunciation
With a long word like this, your students may find their tongues tripping over the letters. So how is it pronounced?
Onomatopoeia is pronounced as "ah-nuh-muh-tuh-PEE-uh." It's a bit of a mouthful, so don't worry if it takes a few tries to get it right!
Singing the Onomatopoeia Song
When all else fails, there's always the onomatopoeia song to help jog your memory!
Here's just a sample to get your class singing!
Boom boom clap, boom boom clap
The thunder makes a boom boom sound
Sizzle sizzle, pop pop
The bacon in the pan goes round and round
Onomatopoeia, Onomatopoeia
It's such a cool word to say
Onomatopoeia, Onomatopoeia
It sounds like what it's trying to convey
Tick tock, tick tock
The clock on the wall goes round and round
Snap snap, crackle pop
The fire makes a crackling sound
Onomatopoeia, Onomatopoeia
It's such a cool word to say
Onomatopoeia, Onomatopoeia
It sounds like what it's trying to convey
How to Spell Onomatopoeia
It's not just a tough one to say. This example of figurative language can be a tough one to spell — and not just for our students!
One trick is to break it down into smaller parts.
The first part of the word "onoma" means name in Greek, and "poiein" means to make.
So, onomatopoeia is a word that "makes a name" for something by mimicking the sound it makes.
You can remember the spelling by thinking of it as "onoma" + "to" + "poeia".
- Plus Plan
Figurative Language Anchor Chart - Onomatopoeia
Help young readers and writers recognize figurative language and onomatopoeia with a set of onomatopoeia anchor charts.
- Free Plan
Onomatopoeia Words - Vocabulary Display
Display a fun onomatopoeia word wall in your classroom with printable cards containing onomatopoeia examples.
- Plus Plan
Exploring Figurative Language in Poetry Workbook
Teach your upper elementary and middle school students to read, analyze, and discuss poetry with a printable and digital poetry workbook.
- Plus Plan
Sound Devices in Poetry - Teaching Slide Deck
Teach the different sound devices used in poetry with this Google Slide Deck.
- Plus Plan
Onomatopoeia Poster
A poster providing a definition and examples of onomatopoeia.
- Plus Plan
Onomatopoeia Man Poster
A poster providing a definition and examples of onomatopoeia.
- Plus Plan
Exploring Poetry Worksheet - Onomatopoeia
A worksheet to help students understand onomatopoeia in poetry.
- Plus Plan
Sound Play in Poetry - Onomatopoeia
A 60 minute lesson in which students will identify and explore onomatopoeia in poetry.