Have you ever heard words that imitate the sound they represent? For instance, why are they called flip-flops? All you need to do to figure out why we call them "flip-flops" is to walk around in a pair of them for just a little while. Because of how they're made, the rubber soles slap against the bottom of your feet as you walk, making a flip-flop, flip-flop sound. The name “flip-flop" is thus an example of onomatopoeia (onoma - toe - PO - eeyah), a Greek word meaning  a word or a thing's name that comes from the sound that it makes!

Some examples of onomatopoeia include achoo, moo, buzz, quack, zip, beep, cuckoo, vroom! Say each of these words. Can you hear how the word sounds like what it describes? Leave us some of your onomatopoeias. And by the way, although the name “flip-flops" originated in America in the 1950s, flip-flops go way, way back in time. Experts believe flip-flops have been around for at least 6,000 years. Ancient Egyptian murals on tombs and temples show flip-flops were worn around 4,000 B.C. Lord knows what they called them!

Your onomatopoeia:

 

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