6 Words For The Sound An Elephant Makes (Onomatopoeia)

Elephants are amazing creatures, and you might be looking for ways to describe the sounds they make. Luckily, onomatopoeia gives us a lot of freedom, meaning that we can make up some great noises to replicate the sound of elephants. This article will give you the best options.

Which Words Can Describe The Sound An Elephant Makes?

Some of the best ways you can describe the sound an elephant makes include:

• Trumpet
• Toot
• Pawoo
• Baraag
• Pffffteee
• Arouuu

The preferred version is “trumpet,” as it best imitates the sound that comes from elephant trunks. We can also use it because it’s a recognized word we associate with specific sounds, whereas some of the other options are phonetic onomatopoeia words that have distinct sounds.

Trumpet

“Trumpet” is a great way to try and identify the sound an elephant makes. It works because a “trumpet” is a musical instrument that a lot of people can understand when they see it.

If you can understand what a trumpet sounds like, it also allows you to understand the noise that elephants create when they use their trunks.

The best forms of onomatopoeia are usually those we can relate to other things. This is because it makes it much easier for us to explain the meaning or sound for the reader.

• The trumpeting of the elephant was a sound to behold! I wish I could go back to the safari.
• The elephants trumpeted toward each other. I could have sworn they were speaking some kind of hidden language.
• That’s not the trumpeting sound they make! You should try and do it a little more like this.

Toot

“Toot” is similar to “trumpet,” but it’s not as common for elephants. We can still use it in the same way, but a toot is often a quieter sound, which many people don’t tend to associate with elephants.

Since elephants are such large creatures, it doesn’t always make sense for them to “toot.” Instead, you can think of their quicker, quieter noises as the “toots,” while the usual sounds you associate with elephants can remain as “trumpets.”

• Elephants toot their trunks when they’re happy. I wish I had a way to show I was that happy!
• I love the toots they make when they’re speaking to each other. They really are remarkable creatures, aren’t they?
• Your tooting sound is as close as it can be. I didn’t know that humans could make elephant noises!

Pawoo

“Pawoo” is the first true onomatopoeia word you can use. You can tell it’s onomatopoeia because it uses a combination of letters that don’t create a real word. Instead, they create a phonetic sound that we can create with our mouths.

While there isn’t a definition for “pawoo” in any dictionaries, you can still say the word and come close to imitating the sound of elephants.

The best part about onomatopoeia words like this is that you can often vary the number of “O’s” used at the end of the word. This allows us to add volume or intensity to the sound we are trying to make (and allows us to demonstrate it in our writing).

• Pawoo! Pawoo! That’s the noise the elephants make. I think it’s a lot of fun to imitate animals.
• I think they go “pawooooo.” I might be wrong, but that feels like it’s the closest to what you can hear.
• It’s hard to recreate an elephant sound, but “pawoo” seems to do the trick nicely.

Baraag

“Baraag” is an interesting choice that some people use. We can use the “B” sound at the start to show that the elephant trumpet is much lower in register than the human voice. The repeated “A” letters also allow us to try and demonstrate how the sound works.

• Baraag! Baraag! Can you hear the elephants coming? I’m not sure how I feel about them, but I’m excited to find out!
• Baraag! Baraag! Isn’t that cool? You can hear them crying out, and I think they’re just over this hill.
• Elephants definitely go “baraag” when they see each other. It’s their way of communicating.

Pffffteee

Onomatopoeia is great because it allows us to have all the freedom we need to create a sound from a combination of letters. While “pffffteee” is clearly not a word, it works when we want to spell out the sound that elephants can make.

If you think about it, the “pffff” sound comes from blowing air out of your closed lips. This is already close to the sound that elephants can make.

The “teee” noise at the end works when we want to lengthen the sound, and it gets shrill when we do so. Altogether, “pffffteee” does a great job of imitating the sound.

We can also increase the number of letters used if we want to add length of intensity to the sound.

• Pffffttteeeeeee! That’s the elephant’s call. He should be here any second, so we should probably clear out.
• Pfffttteeee! I love the sound of the elephants. I hope I get to see a few more of them soon.
• Pfffftttee! Here come the trunks that you’ve been waiting for. Just wait till you get a good look at these elephants.

Arouuu

“Arouuu” is the last way we can use onomatopoeia to come up with the sound that elephants make. Like the ones above, we can change the number of letters we use to increase or decrease the power, length, and intensity.

The more “U’s” we place at the end of the word, the longer the sound is expected to be.

The “A’s” at the beginning of the word are the way you commence the sound. If you listen to an elephant trumpet, you might hear that slightly breath-like noise before the sound is fired (which is what the “A” represents).

• Arouuuuuuu! Arouuuuuuu! The elephants are being extra loud today. I wonder if anyone spooked them.
• Arou! That’s the elephant noise! Arou! Arou! I don’t know what you’re doing, but it’s not right.
• Arouuuuu! You can’t imitate the elephant’s sound without pretending that your arm is a trunk!