alliteration

noun

al·lit·er·a·tion | \ ə-ˌli-tə-ˈrā-shən

Definition of alliteration

: the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables (such as wild and woolly, threatening throngs)

— called also head rhyme, initial rhyme

What is alliteration? Example Sentences Learn More about alliteration

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What is alliteration?

In alliteration, consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables are repeated. The repeated sounds are usually the first, or initial, sounds—as in "seven sisters"—but repetition of sounds in non-initial stressed, or accented, syllables is also common: "appear and report." Alliteration is a common feature in poetry, but it is also found in songs and raps and speeches and other kinds of writing, as well as in frequently used phrases, such as "pretty as a picture" and "dead as a doornail."

Alliteration can in its simplest form reinforce one or two consonant sounds, as in this line from William Shakespeare's "Sonnet XII":

When I do count the clock that tells the time

A more complex pattern of alliteration can be created when consonants both at the beginning of words and at the beginning of stressed syllables within words are repeated, as in the following line from Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Stanzas Written in Dejection Near Naples":

The City's voice itself is soft like Solitude's

As a poetic device, alliteration is often discussed with assonance, the repetition of stressed vowel sounds within two or more words with different end consonants, as in "stony" and "holy"; and consonance, the repetition of end or medial consonants, as in "stroke" and "luck."

Examples of alliteration in a Sentence

As far as sound repetition goes, I don't have any principles. I try to stay away from heavy alliteration and other pyrotechnics because I think they detract from the sense of the poem and blur the imagery. — Maxine Kumin, "A Questionnaire," 1977, in To Make a Prairie, 1979 More specifically, how are actual events deformed by the application to them of metaphor, rhetorical comparison, prose rhythm, assonance, alliteration, allusion, and sentence structures and connectives implying clear causality? — Paul Fussel, The Great War and Modern Memory, 1975

Recent Examples on the Web

The fairy even hovers over Harbart’s suicide, and a similar lighter touch informs the prose, enlivened by assonance and alliteration. — John Domini, Washington Post, "Decades after the raucous ‘Harbart’ became a cult classic in India, a translation finally arrives," 22 July 2019 His calls were filled with energy, passion and punchy phrases, often featuring alliteration, and his demeanor and tone would ebb and flow along with the Blazers’ ups and downs. — Joe Freeman, oregonlive.com, "Brian Wheeler will not return to Portland Trail Blazers’ radio," 12 July 2019 And his turns of phrase, his alliteration and all of that just drew me in. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Lyle Lovett, with or without Hazmat suit, set to light up for Fourth of July," 26 June 2019 But the real reason had less to do with alliteration and more to do with the almighty. — Shoaib Daniyal, Quartz India, "Haleem or Daleem? WhatsApp university fuels debate over Ramzan delicacy," 4 June 2019 Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar There's a certain three-word alliteration that evokes a strong response in the soccer community: soccer-specific stadium. — Kevin Johnston, Indianapolis Star, "Lucas Oil Stadium not perfect home for Indy Eleven, but a big upgrade," 30 Mar. 2018 The new sisters will have something in common with Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige however—alliteration. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Everything You Need to Know About the 'Charmed' Reboot," 20 Apr. 2018 This feels like a missed opportunity for alliteration for me. — Chris Cillizza, CNN, "The definitive -- and updated! -- rankings of Donald Trump's nicknames for his political enemies," 3 Apr. 2018 There's a certain three-word alliteration that evokes a strong response in the soccer community: soccer-specific stadium. — Kevin Johnston, Indianapolis Star, "Lucas Oil Stadium not perfect home for Indy Eleven, but a big upgrade," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alliteration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for alliteration

alliteration

noun

English Language Learners Definition of alliteration

: the use of words that begin with the same sound near one another (as in wild and woolly or a babbling brook)

See the full definition for alliteration in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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alliteration

Definition of alliteration

What is alliteration?

Examples of alliteration in a Sentence

First Known Use of alliteration

History and Etymology for alliteration

English Language Learners Definition of alliteration

alliteration

Definition of alliteration

What is alliteration?

Examples of alliteration in a Sentence

First Known Use of alliteration

History and Etymology for alliteration

English Language Learners Definition of alliteration

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