Which literary device imitates a sound?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Metaphor
• C. Onomatopoeia
• D. Hyperbole

Answer: (C)

Imitating a sound with words is what this device does. Onomatopoeia uses words that mimic the actual noise they describe, so when you read buzz, bang, hiss, or splash, you almost hear the sound. This effect adds immediacy and vividness to the scene by bringing in auditory texture. The other devices work differently: alliteration relies on repeating the same initial consonant sounds to create rhythm, not to reproduce a sound; metaphor makes a direct, often indirect comparison between unlike things; hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis, not sound imitation. Because the goal here is to reproduce the noise itself through spelling and pronunciation, onomatopoeia is the best match.