Does your story have automotive noises? Perhaps the cries of birds fill the air. Or maybe it is full of explosions, fighting, and people running. Whatever type of noises are in your story, chances are there is a word that makes just the type of noise you need.


public domain photo by Shellea Hall

J
jabber – Have you ever heard a person talk so fast that you could hardly understand what was being said? That is jabber, an onomatopoeic word that imitates the sound of fast, incoherent talk.

jangle – This is a harsh metallic sound made by metal, such as a lot of keys, clanging together.

jar – This would be the harsh sound of guns or explosions.

jee je je jee – This is an automotive noise; it is the sound of a clutch release bearing on its way out.

jingle – As opposed to the harsh metallic sound of jangle, this is a light metallic sound, such as the sound just a few keys would make as they hit each other.

jug- Believe it or not, this one is a musical sound. It is the sound of palm-muted power chords on an electric guitar. It is used when playing air guitar, and it is often repetitive.

jump – This is the sound your feet make when landing on the ground.


K
ka-ching – Next time you go to the store, listen to the sound the cash register makes. This is how you write that sound.

kaaahkkk – When your car seems to be fighting to start, this is the sound it makes.
kKaaapooooom – You know those speed bumps in parking lots and other areas where you are supposed to drive really slow? This is the sound your car makes when it goes over one of them.

kaboom – This is the sound of an explosion.

kapow – This is also the sound of an explosion.

kashl – This is pronounced just the way it looks, and it is the sound of a rattly, phlegmy cough.

kata-kata – This is the sound of running footsteps as they hit the ground.

Katydid – This is the sound produced by the male of the North American species of katydid.

kekekeke- This is the sound of laughter.

killdeer –Have you ever heard the sound a killdeer makes? Their cry sounds just like their name.

kirik – This is the sound of breaking metal.

kish-kish – This is the sound ice skates make when a person is skating.

kite – It seems that a lot of birds are named after the sounds they make. This is the sound that a kite, a small hawk, makes.

kittiwake – Here is another bird sound. This is the sound a kittiwake, a type of sea bird, makes.

klam – The sound made when you punch someone during a fight.

klok – The sound made when you kick someone during a fight.

klopp klopp klopp – This is the sound a horse makes when walking.

klunk – This is the sound heavy metallic objects make when they collide.

knell – This is the sound a bell makes when it is struck or rung.

knock-knock – This one is kind of obvious, but it is the sound of someone knocking on a door or other hard surface.

krrrrrrr –This is the sound of a skateboard gliding across the pavement.

kut-kut-kut – This is the sound a hen makes.

If there are any onomatopoeic words that begin with the letters J or K that I missed, please let me know about them in my forum.