Animal Sounds in English

Meow! Woof! Chirp!

Cats, dogs, and birds all share a common language, however the words for their sounds differ from one another. Some animal sounds and verbs are also used in daily conversation to convey a variety of messages. So, in addition to learning some new words, understanding animal sounds in English will teach you new ways of expressing yourself in conversation.

Animal sounds are an a kind of onomatopoeia (words that imitate sounds). Onomatopoeia includes words like “pop,” “buzz,” and “boom,” as well as “meow,” “woof,” and “moo.” Cats and explosions may sound the same everywhere, however the way we hear sounds varies depending on where we are.

For example, if you speak a language that lacks the letter “l,” such as Japanese, you might say that a chicken says “koke” rather than “cluck.” Most animal sounds are similar around the world, with some variants depending on language and how we hear things.

WHY SHOULD WE LEARN ANIMALS SOUNDS IN ENGLISH?

Knowing animal sounds in English may appear insignificant, but these sounds are culturally significant. Animal sounds are among the first things that babies discover when they begin to speak. Although you may not need to use the word “moo” in everyday conversation very often, knowing it will bring you one step closer to speaking—and thinking—like a native. Because it allows you to hear things differently, animal sounds and onomatopoeia in general can help you know how to pronounce words better. The further you learn about the English language, regardless of how trivial (insignificant) the information appears to be, the better you will become at it!
And here’s a list of the most common animals sounds in English: