Words & style · Tip 54 of 82 · 4 min read
Alliteration: Super Sound Patterns
Put words with the same starting sound side by side and your writing will sing.
Say this out loud: the slippery snake slid silently. Can you hear the hiss? When words close together start with the same sound, it's called alliteration. It makes writing fun to say and easy to remember.
Where you'll find it
- Tongue twisters: big brown bears bounce on blue balloons
- Names: characters like Wanda Wobblebottom or Captain Crumb
- Titles: The Terrible Tale of the Tiny Tiger
- Poems: where sound patterns make lines ring out
Sounds can match the meaning
Different letters make different feelings. Pick sounds that fit what you're describing.
- S sounds are soft or sneaky: silky, sleepy, slithering
- B, D and K sounds are hard and bumpy: the drum boomed, the cart clattered
- L and M sounds are smooth and gentle: lazy, mellow, lullaby
Okay 😐
The waves hit the rocks loudly all night.
Wow! 🤩
All night the waves whacked and walloped the rocks.
Don't overdo it
A whole page of alliteration turns into a tongue twister, and readers get tired. Use it for a name, a title or one special sentence, where you want the reader to pause and enjoy the sound.
The market was noisy and crowded. Mum held Leo's hand tightly. Then, through the crowd, he saw it: a mountain of marshmallows, melting in the midday sun.