在英语合成词中，有一种不是很普遍的，也较少人注意的，那就是叠声合成词(repetition compounds)。

叠声合成词多数是名词，也可转化为形容词、动词或副词，有三种形式：

Ⅰ两个字都相同，如：

● He pooh-poohed my idea.(轻视)

● It is a hush-hush report not to be made public.(秘密的)

● The boy said bye-bye to his parents.(再见)

其他类似的叠声合成词有：

clank-clank(链子声), drip-drip(雨水声), tap-tap(打字机的声音), so so(马马虎虎), goody-goody(伪善的), fifty-fifty(各半的), pretty-pretty(打扮得很俗气的), thump-thump(砰然声), snip-snip(剪声)等。

Ⅱ第二字的元音和第一字的不同，如：

● Electric networks criss-cross the whole island.(交叉往来)

● The government dilly-dallied over lengthening the retirement age.(犹疑不决)

● The blinds flip-flopped in the wind.(飘摇、摇曳)

● The drunkard zig-zagged along the road.(弯弯曲曲地走)

● Most women like knick-knacks.(小装饰品)

● Is it possible to get rid of the riff-raff of a society?(下等人)

● The graduating students had a pleasant sing-song in the garden.(歌唱会)

● Do you like wishy-washy soup?(淡而无味的)

Ⅲ第二字的辅音和第一字的不同，如：

● Barbarians in ancient times had to kow-tow to government officials.(叩头)

● Some people are not used to the hub-bub of the city. (喧嚣)

● I pity those who lead a humdrum life year in year out.(单调的)

● Willy-nilly, young people at the age of 18 must go for military training.(不管愿意或不愿意)

● Don’t play hanky-panky with your friends.(阴谋诡计)

● When rain suddenly came, the pedestrians ran helter-skelter.(狼狈地)

● Tom and his friends used to hob-nob in the bar.(共饮、亲切地交谈)

● The defeated soldiers retreated pell-mell.(混乱地)

● The market in the morning is usually filled with hurly-burly.(喧闹)

叠声合成词形象清新，但数量不多，用的范畴也较局限，通常都不在严肃或正式的场合出现。