'The dun dun of a drum' is an example of an__________

Step 1: Analyze the question The phrase "dun dun of a drum" uses a word that imitates the actual sound a drum makes. We need the figure of speech that does this.

Step 2: Review the options

• A. Euphemism: A mild or polite word used in place of a harsh one (e.g., "passed away" for "died"). The phrase doesn't do this.
• B. Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates the sound it describes (e.g., buzz, bang, hiss, splash). "Dun dun" copies the sound of a drum.
• C. Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words (e.g., "the rain in Spain"). "Dun dun" does repeat a vowel sound, but its main purpose is to imitate a sound, not to create vowel-sound patterning across different words.
• D. Oxymoron: Two contradictory words put together (e.g., "deafening silence", "bitter sweet"). This doesn't apply here.

Step 3: Identify the answer "Dun dun" is a sound-imitating word, so it is onomatopoeia.

Exam tip: When you see a sound word like boom, crash, sizzle, tick-tock, dun dun, gbim gbim, think onomatopoeia ("the word sounds like what it means"). Remember: Onomato = Sound-making. Assonance deals with repeated vowel sounds, while onomatopoeia deals with imitated sounds.