Meaning & use

alliteration

noun·Academic

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound across nearby words in a phrase.

See it in a sentence

The tongue twister 'she sells seashells' is a well-known example of alliteration.

The poet used alliteration to give the line a strong, rhythmic sound.

A note on using this word

Alliteration is judged by sound, not spelling, so 'cat' and 'kite' alliterate even though they start with different letters.

Words with a similar meaning

This term is best learned through its definition and examples.

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