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Multiple Choice

Words that imitate sounds are called ...

Onomatopoeia is the term for words that imitate sounds. When you encounter words like buzz, hiss, bang, or splash, the word itself mimics the noise it describes, helping you hear the sound as you read. This device adds vivid auditory imagery and brings action to life in a sentence or scene. Repetition is about repeating words or sounds for emphasis, parallelism relies on matching grammatical structures in phrases or sentences, and a couplet is two lines of verse that rhyme. None of these specifically capture the idea of a word that imitates a real sound, which is why onomatopoeia is the correct choice.

Onomatopoeia is the term for words that imitate sounds. When you encounter words like buzz, hiss, bang, or splash, the word itself mimics the noise it describes, helping you hear the sound as you read. This device adds vivid auditory imagery and brings action to life in a sentence or scene.

Repetition is about repeating words or sounds for emphasis, parallelism relies on matching grammatical structures in phrases or sentences, and a couplet is two lines of verse that rhyme. None of these specifically capture the idea of a word that imitates a real sound, which is why onomatopoeia is the correct choice.