Do you know what alliteration is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on alliteration, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, alliteration is a grammatical device that refers to several words close together which all begin with the same letter or sound, like “Mickey Mouse,” “Marilyn Monroe” or “Donald Duck.” These can be either consonant sounds or vowel sounds at the beginning of a word. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, while consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds. This literary device is often seen in poetry, literature, and speeches to create rhythm. It has been used by William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, Edgar Allen Poe in “The Raven,” Martin Lutker King, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley, in song lyrics, and more. Alliterative phrases are commonly seen in a line of verse, and can range from a simple to a complex pattern of alliteration.
Many different languages also contain words that mean alliteration. You may notice that some of these translations of alliteration look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of alliteration is provided by Word Sense.
Alliteration can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of alliteration that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Take a look at these tongue twisters and alliteration examples from Your Dictionary and see how many you can say! Some of them are quite a challenge. Others are from famous authors and writers.
Three grey geese in a green field grazing. Grey were the geese and green was the grazing.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
Black bug bit a big black bear. But where is the big black bear that the big black bug bit?
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said, this butter’s bitter; if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter, but a bit of better butter will make my batter better.
A big bug bit the little beetle but the little beetle bit the big bug back.
Show Shawn Sharon’s shabby shoes.
Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep. The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed shilly-shallied south. These sheep shouldn’t sleep in a shack.
Great Aunt Nellie and Brent Bernard who watch with wild wonder at the wide window as the beautiful birds begin to bite into the bountiful birdseed.
Slowly the slug started up the steep surface, stringing behind it scribble sparkling like silk
A good cook could cook as many cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes / A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life /Whose misadventured piteous overthrows / Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
Sheep should sleep in a shed.
My counters and cupboards were completely cleared of carrot cake, cornbread and crackers.
Sally sells seashells by the seashore. She sells seashells on the seashell shore. The seashells she sells are seashore shells, of that I’m sure. She sells seashells by the seashore. She hopes she will sell all her seashells soon. If neither he sells seashells nor she sells seashells, who shall sell seashells? Shall seashells be sold?
What are other literary techniques and devices?
There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these devices because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of literary devices from Reedsy and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you.
Tragicomedy
Imagery
Flashback
Irony
Soliloquy
Anthropomorphism
Point of view
Archetype
Cumulative sentence
Repetition
Colloquialism
Metaphor
Anaphora
Chiasmus
Anachronism
Exposition
Polysyndeton
Malapropism
Oxymoron
Onomatopoeia
In Medias Res
Symbolism
Allegory
Satire
Metonymy
Tmesis
Foreshadowing
Tautology
Litotes
Personification
Hypophora
Hyperbole
Anastrophe
Euphemism
Paradox
Zoomorphism
Aphorism
Tone
Simile
Juxtaposition
Frame story
Dramatic irony
Isocolon
Motif
Allusion
Synecdoche
Overall, the word alliteration means the repetition of consonant sounds in speech or writing. This is commonly seen in a lot of poetry and pose to create rhythm.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
December 31, 2021
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