Onomatopoeia is defined as words that imitate sounds. What is another term used for it?

• A. Echoism
• B. Alliteration
• C. Metaphor
• D. Personification

Answer: (A)

Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate sounds, and another term used for this phenomenon is echoism. Echoism describes words that mimic natural sounds, like buzz, hiss, or clang, capturing the way the sound itself is echoed in language. The other options describe different sound patterns or figures of speech: alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds, which isn’t about imitating sounds; metaphor is a comparison between unlike things; and personification gives human traits to nonhuman things. So echoism is the best fit because it specifically denotes words that imitate sounds.