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Onomatopoeias

Onomatopoeis are the naming of a thing or action by vocally imitating the sound associated with it. For example, bees buzz and dogs bark. Onomatopoeias come up quite often so they are good to be familiar with when learning a new language. Listed below are many common ones.

For more information check this cross-linguistic onomatopoeias(Opens in new window) article from Wikipedia.

Table for the list of onomatopoeias for eating and drinking.
ExampleEnglishFinnish
Biting
Chomp, munch, nom
Rousk
Eating food
Yum yum, om nom nom, slurp slurp
Nam nam, nami nami
Swallowing
Gulp
Klup
Table for the list of onomatopoeias for bodily functions and involuntary sounds.
ExampleEnglishFinnish
Heart beating
Thump thump, ba boom, ba bump, lub-dub
Tu-tum, pu-pum
Belching
Burp
Röyh
Coughing
Koff
Köh köh
Flatulence
Fart, poot, toot, blapp, pfft
Prut, prööt
Sneezing
Atishoo, achoo
Atshii, atshiu, atsiuh, ätshii, ätshiu, ätsiuh
Snoring
Zzz
Krooh pyyh
Yawning
Yawn
Haukotus
Table for the list of onomatopoeia animal sounds.
ExampleEnglishFinnish
Chicken clucking
Cluck cluck, bok bok bok, bok bok b’gawk
Kot kot
Rooster crowing
Cock a doodle doo
kukkokiekuu, kukko (cock), kiekuu (crowing)
Turkey calling
Gobble gobble
Klu klu klu
Duck calling
Quack
Kvaak kvaak
Bird singing
chirp chirp, tweet tweet, cheep cheep, peep peep
tsirp tsirp, tviit, piip piip, ti-ti-tyy
Crow calling
Caw caw
Kraa kraa
Owl hooting
Hoo hoo
Huhuu
Cat meowing
Meow
Miau, mau, nau, kurnau
Dog barking
Woof, arf, bow wow, ruff, yap yap
Hau hau, vuh vuh
Dog or wolf howling
Awooo
Auuu, vouuu
Horse whinnying
Neigh
Ii-ha-haa
Horse trotting
Clip clop
Klip-klop
Donkey braying
Hee-haw, wee-snaw
Ihaa
Cow mooing
Moo
Ammuu, muu, möö
Sheep bleating
Baa
Mää, bää
Goat bleating
Maa, naa
Mä-ä-ä-ää, bä-ä-ä-ää
Pig grunting
Oink oink
Röh röh, nöf nöf
Pig squealing
Bree bree
Skviik
Elephant trumpeting
Baraag, nrrr, toot
Tööt, trööt
Lion/tiger roaring
Roar, grrr, rawr, roar
Mur
Monkey chatting
Oo-ooh a-aah
Juk juk, tsik tsik
Bee buzzing
Buzz, bzzz
Surr, surrur
Frog croaking
Ribbit, gribbit, croak
Kurr kurr, kroak
Table for the list of general onomatopoeias.
ExampleEnglishFinnish
Baby crying
Wah wah
Byääh, yää
Scream
Ah, arghh ow, ouch, yeow, yow, agh, eek, yikes, oof
Au, ai, auts
Shriek
Yagh, gah, eek, yikes
Iik, kääk
Hushing
Hush, shh, shush
Shh, hys
Pausing or thinking
Uh, um, er, erm, hmmm, mmm
Öö
Laughter
Haha, heh-heh, hoho, (tee)heehee
Haha, hahhah, hehe, hehheh, hihi, höhö
Kiss
Mwah, smooch, smack
Muisk
Balloon or bubble bursting
Pop, bang
Poks
Cannon firing, gunshot, machine gun fire
bam, boom, blam, kaboom; bang, pow; rat-at-at-at-at-at, gat-gat-gat-gat, skkrrt skkrrt, dakka-dakka
Pum, pam, ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, rä-tä-tä-tä-tä-tä
Crash
Boom, bam, wham, slam, bang, crash, clash, pow, thonk, thunk, thud, clang
Pam, pum, ryskis, kolin, räiskis
Door or floor creaking
Creak
Kriik, narsk
Knocking
Knock knock, bang bang bang
Kop kop
Car engine revving
Vroom vroom, broom broom
Vruum vruum, bruum bruum, prööm prööm
Car horn honking
Honk honk, beep beep, toot toot
Tööt tööt
Clock ticking
Tick tock
Tik tak
Doorbell ringing
Ding-dong
Pim pom
Siren wailing
Wee-woo, ee naw, waow-waow
Pii paa, viiuu viiuu viiuu
Train whistling
Choo choo, woo woo
Tuut tuut
Electric shock
Zap
Tsäp
Water dripping
Drip drop, plink plonk
Tip tip
Wind blowing or waves flowing
Whoo, whoosh, swish, rustle, whine, whizz, whistle, wheeze, howl, zoom, sigh, sough, surf
Viuuh
Jingling
Clink clank, dingle dangle, jingle jangle
Kilin, helin