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Hi, I'm Rob. And I'm Catherine.
Welcome to 6 Minute Vocabulary.
Our subject for today is Onomatopoeia, that means words that sound like the thing they mean.
And Catherine and I will be trying to demonstrate some of these words today.
Yes, like the sound that most people's phones make when they get text messages.
We call that sound a beep.
Beep! That's it, Rob, yeah!
That's onomatopoeia.
The word sounds like the thing it means – beep!
Beep, beep, yes! Have I got a message?
Right, OK, there are lots of examples of onomatopoeia in the English language and we'll take a look at some of them on today's show.
So let's start with a clip of Oliver, and he's talking about living in the city.
While you listen try to answer this question.
How does Oliver feel about city life?
It's too noisy for me.
All the cars zooming around and honking their horns, music blaring in shops, machines buzzing and bleeping.
Even at night it isn't quiet.
You can still hear the fridge humming and the rumble of the traffic outside.
Then I wish I was far away from the city.
Sleeping in a tent with no sound except the rustle of the wind in the trees!
So that's Oliver and we asked you how he feels about city life.
And Oliver said it's too noisy for him!
No, how he feels, yeah, London, same!
Anyway, here's another question.
What words did Oliver used to talk about the sounds of the city in the daytime.
Listen again. All the cars zooming around and honking their horns, music blaring in shops, machines buzzing and bleeping.
Lots of lovely vocabulary there.
Oliver talked about cars zooming around.
Zoom, spelt z -o -o -m is a verb which means to move very quickly, making a zooming sound.
Zoom! Watch out! Then he mentioned the cars honking their horns.
A honk – spelled h -o -n -k – is a lovely word – it means a short, loud sound like a car horn makes.
Honk -honk! That the way again!
Honk -honk! OK, next, Oliver talked about music blaring.
The verb to blare – that's b -l -a -r -e – means to make a loud, unpleasant sound, music that's much too loud.
Blaring. You got teenage kids, Rob.
Not yet. They'll be blaring their music soon enough.
OK, and Oliver also mentioned machines bleeping and buzzing.
Now a bleep – Bleep bleep.
That's one – b -l -double -e -p – is a short high sound which electronic devices make, something like this bleep, bleep, bleep – that sounds like a heart monitor.
Very good. And a buzz – that's buzz – is a low continuing sound like machines and some insects make.
Yes, buzz... That's it?
Well done. Perfect.
Is there a b in here?
Now, the sounds of the city don't stop even at night.
Here's Oliver again...
You can still hear the fridge humming and the rumble of the traffic outside.
So he can hear the fridge humming.
The word hum, h -u -m, describes a low continuous sound.
And a hummm is different from a buzzz!
It is. Can we listen to your hum and your buzz, Rob?
Why not, OK, here we go.
Hum and buzz. Is that your fridge and your bee?
That's right, yes. In that order.
Oliver also spoke about the rumble of the traffic out in the street.
Now a rumble, R -U -M -B -L -E, is a bit like a buzz but there's a difference.
A buzz, buzzz, continues without changing but a rumble goes up and down.
Like the wheels of a truck on rough ground going rumble, rumble, rumble.
Rumble! Rumble! You carry on rumbling.
Okay. Finally, Oliver spoke about the sound of the wind in the trees.
Listen out for the word he used.
Then I wish I was far away from the city, sleeping in a tent, with no sound except the rustle of the wind in the trees.
Russell describes the sound of the wind.
A rustle is a soft, dry, moving sound.
It's Russell, Russell?
Quite a nice sound really.
Thank you. And our subject today is Onomatopoeia, words that sound like the thing they describe.
And it's time for a quiz!
Question 1. Rob, what sound does a car horn make?
Easy! It's a honk! Question 2.
What sound does a fridge make?
and it's hum. And the last question, what sound does the wind make in the trees?
The correct answer is rustle.
And that's the end of today's quiz.
Well done to you at home if you got them all right.
And before we go, here's an idea to help you remember new vocabulary.
Choose one of your favourite songs in your first language and write some new words for it in English?
Yes, and then practise singing your song – it will help you to remember the new words!
There's more about this at bbclearningenglish .com.
Join us again for more Six Minute Vocabulary!
Bye! Useful new words and phrases, language to introduce yourself, directions and lots more.
Language is repeated to help you learn.
Watch the series on our website, bbclearningenglish .com.