Alliteration and Assonance

Alliteration - the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of several words that are close together
Examples:
Blind as a bat
As good as gold
Tit for tat
Waste not, want not
To shilly-shally
Round the rugged rocks the ragged rascal ran
But a better butter makes a batter better

Alliteration in poetry and songs
Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling!
(Walt Whitman)
And churlish chiding of the winter’s wind
Which, when it bites and blows upon my body.
(William Shakespeare)
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
(Edgar Allan Poe)
Swaying daisies sing a lazy song beneath the sun.
(The Beatles)

Alliteration in brand names
Bed Bath & Beyond
Chuck E. Cheese
Coca-Cola
PayPal
Lulu Lemon
Dunkin' Donuts

Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds within words that are close together
Examples:
The cat is out of the bag
Dumb luck
Wild child
Son of a gun
Cock of the walk
Surf and turf
A stitch in time saves nine

Assonance in song lyrics and titles
In the sky a bird was heard to cry
Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds
Belie the deathly silence that lay all around
(Pink Floyd’s “Granchester Meadows”)
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain (musical “My Fair Lady”)
Back in Black (AC/DC)
Light My Fire (The Doors)
Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley and his Comets)

Purpose of alliteration and assonance

Test your knowledge of Alliteration and Assonance
1. Choose the best Alliteration definition?
The repetition of a vowel sound at the beginning of several words.
The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of several words.
A string of repeated sounds in different lines of a poem.
2. Choose the best Assonance definition?
The repetition of a vowel sound within words.
The repetition of the same consonant sounds in the middle of a word.
The repetition of sounds at the beginning of several words in a line.

Test your knowledge of Alliteration and Assonance
1. Choose the best Alliteration definition?
The repetition of a vowel sound at the beginning of several words.
The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of several words.
A string of repeated sounds in different lines of a poem.
2. Choose the best Assonance definition?
The repetition of a vowel sound within words.
The repetition of the same consonant sounds in the middle of a word.
The repetition of sounds at the beginning of several words in a line.

3. Add a word from a table to create Alliteration in each sentence.
Please put your ____ away
I had to ___ home
The lazy ____ lie like lumps
Peter ___ petunias in the pot
Go gather ___ leaves in the garden
4. Read the word from the first column.
Create Assonance by marking the appropriate word from each line.
Planted
Lizards
Green
Pen
Hurry

3. Add a word from a table to create Alliteration in each sentence.
Please put your pen away
I had to hurry home
The lazy lizards lie like lumps
Peter planted petunias in the pot
Go gather green leaves in the garden
4. Read the word from the first column.
Create Assonance by marking the appropriate word from each line.

5. Choose whether each line has Alliteration or Assonance in it and name the sound that repeats.
Looks like lions love licking lizards.
She sells sea-shells on the seashore.
The early bird catches the worm.
We walked while wondering where Wally was.
That cat wears the hat.
I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless.
Zack the zoo-keeper read his zodiac zealously.
My friend foolishly forgot to take the first photo in France.
Hopefully, Harry’s home will have heat soon.
It’s a slow floating boat.

5. Choose whether each line has Alliteration or Assonance in it and name the sound that repeats.
Looks like lions love licking lizards. - alliteration
She sells sea-shells on the seashore. - alliteration
The early bird catches the worm. - assonance
We walked while wondering where Wally was. - alliteration
That cat wears the hat. - assonance
I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless. - assonance
Zack the zoo-keeper read his zodiac zealously. - alliteration
My friend foolishly forgot to take the first photo in France. - alliteration
Hopefully, Harry’s home will have heat soon. - alliteration
It’s a slow floating boat. - assonance