figure of speech
DESCRIPTION
simile, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, metaphor, rhythm etcTRANSCRIPT
FIGUREOF SPEECH
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds at the beginning of words, such as "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." Assonance
the repetition of similar VOWELS in the stressed syllables of successive words. Consonance
repetition of identical consonant sounds within two or more words in close proximity, as in boost/best; it can also be seen within several compound words, such as fulfill and Ping-Pong.
Personification A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
He bravely breached his boiling bloody breast.- by William Shakespeare
2 answers: Consonance and Alliteration
Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
Beowulf bode in the burg. Alliteration
Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
Started at the stillness. Alliteration
Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
"He is all pine, and I apple orchard."
Assonance
Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
And its look rude, unbending, lusty, made me think of myself. Consonance Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
Through the windows-through doors-burst like a ruthless force... (s sounds)
Consonance Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
I hear even now the infinite fierce chorus(long e vowel sound)-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Assonance Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
A soul admitted to itself/ Finite Infinity (s and f sounds)-Emily Dickinson
Consonance Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
Zigmund Zane zig-zagged through the zany zoo zone.
Alliteration Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
A lively young puppy yell for help.
Personification
Is this an example of an alliteration, assonance, consonance, or personification?
The Grass so little has to doA sphere of simple greenWith only butterflies to broodAnd bees to entertainAnd to stir all day to pretty tunesThe Breezes fetch alongAnd hold the sunshine in its lapAnd bow to everything
Poem by Emily Dickinson Personification
Identify which of the following examples are either Alliteration, Assonance (vowel rhyme) and Consonance. ALLITERATION is the repetition of the BEGINNING sounds of nearby words. CONSONANCE is the repetition of the CONSONANT sounds of nearby words that do not rhyme. ASSONANCE is the repetition of VOWEL sounds of nearby words that do not rhyme.
Original Alphabetical
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Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around August
Alliteration. Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "a"
Becky's beagle barked and bayed, becoming bothersome for Billy
Alliteration. Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "b"
Eric's eagle eats eggs, enjoying each episode of eating.
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "e"
Mike's microphone made much music
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "m"
PayPal
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "p"
Nick's nephew never needed new notebooks.
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "n"
Sara's seven sisters slept soundly in sand.
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "s"
Busy as a bee
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "b"
Make a mountain out of a molehill
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "m"
It took tons of tools to make toys for tots
Alliteration.Repetition of initial sounds of words in a row. "t"
Do you like blue?
Assonance.Repetition of vowel sounds of words. - "oo"
The sailor said 'hey' to Mae in passing
Assonance.Repetition of vowel sounds of words. - "ay"
He received three emails today.
Assonance.Repetition of vowel sounds of words. - "ee"
"If I bleat when I speak it's because I just got . . . fleeced."
Assonance.Repetition of vowel sounds of words - "ee"
Men sell the wedding bells
Assonance.Repetition of vowel sounds of words - "E"
I feel depressed and restless
Assonance. Repetition of vowel sounds of words - EE or Consonance.Repetition of consonent sounds of words - ss
Go and mow the lawn
Assonance.Repetition of vowel sounds of words - "O"
Johnny went here and there and everywhere
AssonanceRepetition of vowel sounds of words - "e"
The engineer held the steering to steer the vehicle
AssonanceRepetition of vowel sounds of words - "ee"
So old it is that no man knows how and why the first poems came.
AssonanceRepetition of vowel sounds of words - "o"
First and last
Consonance. FirsT and lasT. The two final consonant sounds (ST) are repeated.
struts and frets
Consonance.StruTS and freTS. The two final consonant sounds are repeated.
Rap rejects my tape deck, ejects projectile
Consonance.Rap rejECts my tape dECk, eECts pojECtile. The consonant sounds are repeated.
Glass boss
Consonance,glaSS boSS. The two final consonant sounds are repeated.
The ship has sailed to the far off shores.
Consonance.The SHip has sailed to the far off SHores. In contrast to alliteration, consonance involves repetition of consonant sounds only.
I dropped the locket in the thick mud
Consonance.I dropped the loCKet in the thiCK mud
short and sweet
Consonance.ShorT and sweeT. The sounds of the "T" consonants in repeated. This is NOT an alliteration because the sound of the SH at the beginning is not repeated in the SW sound of sweet.
odds and ends
Consonance.odDS and enDS. The sounds of the "DS" consonants in repeated.
a stroke of luck
Consonance.a stroKE of lucK. The "K" sound is repeated.
dove moved above the waves
Consonance.the doVe moVed aboVe the waVes.The "V" sound is repeated.
Simile
a comparison using "like" or "as"
Personification
giving human qualities to animals or objects
Metaphor
Time is money.
Hyperbole
extreme exaggeration
Metaphor
comparison not using the word "like" or "as"
Personification
The sun played hide and seek with the clouds.
Simile
She is as sweet as pie.
Personification
The stars in the sky blinked and winked.
Metaphor
She froze with fear.
Hyperbole
I'm starving.
Metaphor
She has a bubbly personality.
Hyperbole
He's driving me crazy.
Simile
The street felt as hot as the surface of the sun.
Simile
This pudding is as smooth as silk.
Personification
The leaves on the ground danced in the wind.
Hyperbole
I'll just die if I don't go to the party.
Simile
It flew as high as a kite.
Metaphor
The internet is the information super highway.
Personification
The teapot sang as the water boiled.
Hyperbole
You snore louder than a freight train.
Here are fifty examples of hyperbole:1. Charlie gazed hopelessly at the endless pile of bills stretching across the counter.
2. That woman has no self-control.
3. That was the easiest question in the world.
4. Nothing can bother him.
5. I can smell pizza from a mile away.
6. I went home and made the biggest sandwich of all time.
7. My dad is always working.
8. Patty drank from a bottomless glass of Kool-Aid.
9. Allie has a million pairs of shoes in her closet.
10. Old Mr. Johnson has been teaching here since the Stone Age.
11. Forget knocking it out of the park, Frank can knock a baseball off the continent.
12. The lesson was taking forever.
13. Ive seen this movie at least 80,000 times.
14. Vanessa never has anything interesting to say.
15. These shoes are killing me.
16. Shauna does everything for him.
17. Christmas will never come.
18. He walked down the road to nowhere.
19. Id rather French kiss a rattlesnake than miss a gym period.
20. My dad knows everything about cars.
21. Max is the fastest thing on two feet.
22. Basketball is the only thing that ever mattered to him.
23. Nothing can stop these guys.
24. My mom is going to kill me.
25. She can have any boy that she wants.
26. Nobody can beat level six.
27. Youve made me the happiest man alive, Rita.
28. The sight of them kissing is so gross that it makes me want to puke.
29. Well be best friends forever.
30. Now there is no star that is not perfumed with my fragrance.
31. I will never say never.32. Chris wont drive her home because she lives on the other side of the universe.
33. The only thing that he ever wants to do is play that game.
34. Once I get you in my arms, Im never going to let you go.
35. John always knows the right thing to say.
36. Phoebe would be content anywhere.
37. Nothing could ever go wrong with his plan.
38. Pam was skinny enough to jump through a keyhole.
39. Jasmine never forgets anything.
40. Everyone knows that.
41. Go to the park? Thats the best idea ever.
42. Id move mountains for her.
43. Tanya never stops talking.
44. I cant do anything right.
45. Janet worked her fingers to the bone.
46. Jack was thirsty enough to drink a river dry.
47. She is perfect in everyway.
48. Your dad is the smartest guy in the world.
49. We tried everything that we could.
50. I could listen to that song on repeat forever.
50 Examples of Personification
1. Justice is blind and, at times, deaf.
2. Money is the only friend that I can count on.
3. The cactus saluted any visitor brave enough to travel the scorched land.
4. Jan ate the hotdog despite the arguments it posed to her digestive system.
5. The world does not care to hear your sad stories.
6. After freedoms sweet kiss, she could never return to the doldrums of the factory.
7. Peggy heard the last piece of cheesecake in the refrigerator calling her name.
8. The sorry engine wheezed its death cough.
9. Drugs dragged him into this place and they wouldnt let him leave alive.
10. The buses can be impatient around here.
11. These casinos are always hungry enough to eat your dinner.
12. He sang a lonely song to the moonlight.
13. The candle flame danced in the dark.
14. Thunder grumbled and raindrops reported for duty.
15. The moon turned over to face the day.
16. As fall turned to winter, the trees found themselves wearing white.
17. The brown grass was begging for water.
18. Our society needs strong leaders.
19. One unhappy icicle wasted away in the day.
20. The sunflowers nodded in the wind.
21. Most pianos have pretty good manners but Stephan can make them sound rude.
22. The traffic noises argued long into the night and finally Cal went to sleep.
23. The angry storm pounded the tin shelter.
24. A school of rainbow trout swam across the mouth of the river.
25. The silence crept into the classroom.
26. Father Time can always catch up to you, no matter how fast you run.
27. This city never sleeps.
28. The sun stretched its golden arms across the plains.
29. My heart has been skipping around in my chest since I saw her.
30. The child of morning, rosy fingered dawn, appeared.
31. Any trust I had for him walked right out the door.
32. And with those four words her happiness died.
33. The cigarettes stole his health and spent it on phlegm.
34. Kiss your integrity goodbye.
35. The trees dropped their leaves and rested.
36. I overheard the streets talking about you.
37. Winters icy grip squeezed his rib cage.
38. The business world would chew you up and spit you out.
39. The clouds pushed each other around in the sky.
40. He had little to live for now that his dreams were dead.
41. The smell of smoke tattled on the delinquent.
42. The wind whispered the rumors of the forest.
43. The jittery hands of corruption orchestrated the affairs at city hall.
44. Still waters shivered in the wind.
45. Those greedy weeds have starved the petunias.
46. A case of cupcakes can be quite charming to an empty stomach.
47. December light is brief and uncharitable.
48. This morning had friendly greetings for peaceful sleepers.
49. The party died as soon as she left.
50. Light had conquered darkness.
Metaphor Examples for Advanced Readers
Here are fifty more challenging examples of metaphors. The slashes indicate line breaks.
1. The light flows into the bowl of the midnight sky, violet, amber and rose.
2. Men court not death when there are sweets still left in life to taste.
3. In capitalism, money is the life blood of society but charity is the soul.
4. Whose world is but the trembling of a flare, / And heaven but as the highway for a shell,
5. Fame is the fragrance of heroic deeds, / Of flowers of chivalry and not of weeds!
6. So I sit spinning still, round this decaying form, the fine threads of rare and subtle thought.
7. And swish of rope and ring of chain /Are music to men who sail the main.
8. Still sits the school-house by the road, a ragged beggar sunning.
9. The child was our lone prayer to an empty sky.
10. Blind fools of fate and slaves of circumstance, / Life is a fiddler, and we all must dance.
11. Grind the gentle spirit of our meek reviews into a powdery foam of salt abuse.
12. Laugh a drink from the deep blue cup of sky.
13. Think now: history has many cunning passages and contrived corridors.
14. You are now in London, that great sea whose ebb and flow at once is deaf and loud,
15. His fine wit makes such a wound that the knife is lost in it.
16. Waves of spam emails inundated his inbox.
17. In my hearts temple I suspend to thee these votive wreaths of withered memory.
18. He cast a net of words in garish colours wrought to catch the idle buzzers of the day.
19. This job is the cancer of my dreams and aspirations.
20. This song shall be thy rose, soft, fragrant, and with no thorn left to wound thy bosom.
21. There, one whose voice was venomed melody.
22. A sweetness seems to last amid the dregs of past sorrows.
23. So in this dimmer room which we call life,
24. Life is the night with its dream-visions teeming, / Death is the waking at day.
25. Then the lips relax their tensionand the pipe begins to slide, /Till in little clouds of ashes,it falls softly at his side.
26. The olden days: when thy smile to me was wine, golden wine thy word of praise.
27. Thy tones are silver melted into sound.
28. Under us the brown earth / Ancient and strong, / The best bed for wanderers;
29. Love is a guest that comes, unbidden, / But, having come, asserts his right;
30. My House of Life is weather-stained with years.
31. See the sun, far off, a shrivelled orange in a sky gone black;
32. Three pines strained darkly, runners in a race unseen by any.
33. But the rare herb, Forgetfulness, it hides away from me.
34. The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman
35. Life: a lighted window and a closed door.
36. Some days my thoughts are just cocoons hanging from dripping branches in the grey woods of my mind.
37. Men and women pass in the street glad of the shining sapphire weather.
38. The swan existing is a song with an accompaniment.
39. At night the lake is a wide silence, without imagination.
40. The cherry-trees are seas of bloom and soft perfume and sweet perfume.
41. The great gold apples of light hang from the streets long bough, dripping their light on the faces that drift below, on the faces that drift and blow.
42. From its blue vase the rose of evening drops.
43. When in the mines of dark and silent thought / Sometimes I delve and find strange fancies there,
44. The twigs were set beneath a veil of willows.
45. He clutched and hacked at ropes, at rags of sail, / Thinking that comfort was a fairy tale,
46. O Moon, your light is failing and you are nothing now but a bow.
47. Life is a dream in the night, a fear among fears, / A naked runner lost in a storm of spears.
48. This world of life is a garden ravaged.
49. And therefore I went forth, with hope and fear / Into the wintry forest of our life;
50. My soul was a lampless sea and she was the tempest.
Simile Examples for Advanced Readers
Here are fifty examples of similes for advanced readers. Remember: a simile is a comparison between two different things using like or as to make the comparison.
1. I dream of silent verses where the rhyme glides noiseless as an oar.
2. Though they knew it not, their babys cries were lovely as jeweled butterflies.
3. He kissed her as though he were trying to win a sword fight.
4. The paparazzi circled like vultures above a tottering camel.
5. She was as distant as a remote tropical island, uncivilized, unspoiled.
6. Our hearts, though stout and brave, still, like muffled drums, are beating funeral marches to the grave.
7. He had hidden his wealth, heaped and hoarded and piled on high like sacks of wheat in a granary.
8. Pieces of silver and of gold / Into the tinkling strong-box fell / Like pebbles dropped into a well;
9. The cabin windows have grown blank as eyeballs of the dead.
10. What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
11. Each face was like the setting sun, / As, broad and red.
12. Barefooted, ragged, with neglected hair, she was a thin slip of a girl, like a new moon.
13. A fatal letter wings its way across the sea, like a bird of prey.
14. I will sing a slumberous refrain, and you shall murmur like a child appeased.
15. For she knows me! My heart, clear as a crystal beam / To her alone, ceases to be inscrutable.
16. Leaf-strewing gales utter low wails like violins,
17. He spit out his teeth like stones.
18. Talk of your cold: through the parkas fold it stabbed like a driven nail.
19. Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh.
20. Like winged stars the fire-flies flash and glance, / Pale in the open moonshine.
21. The breath of her false mouth was like faint flowers, / Her touch was as electric poison.
22. Then, as a hunted deer that could not flee, I turned upon my thoughts and stood at bay, wounded and weak and panting;
23. There are thick woods where many a fountain, rivulet, and pond are as clear as elemental diamond.
24. Years heap their withered hours, like leaves, on our decay.
25. The ripples wimple on the rills, like sparkling little lasses.
26. She was like a modest flower blown in sunny June and warm as sun at noons high hour.
27. And the face of the waters that spread away / Was as gray as the face of the dead.
28. As in depths of many seas, my heart was drowned in memories.
29. Then like a cold wave on a shore, comes silence and she sings no more.
30. And shout thy loud battle-cry, cleaving the silence like a sword.
31. My soul is lost and tossed like a ship unruddered in a shoreless sea.
32. The clouds like crowds of snowy-hued and white-robed maidens pass
33. Dreams, like ghosts, must hide away; / Tis the day.
34. The evening stretches before me like a road.
35. I would have hours that move like a glitter of dancers.
36. Toby manipulated the people in his life as though they were chess pieces.
37. And only to think that my soul could not react, but turned on itself like a tortured snake.
38. There are strange birds like blots against a sky.
39. She goes all so softly like a shadow on the hill, a faint wind at twilight.
40. The horse-chestnuts dropped their buds like tears.
41. They walk in awful splendor, regal yet, wearing their crimes like rich and kingly capes.
42. Death is like moonlight in a lofty wood that pours pale magic through the shadowy leaves.
43. I was sick of all the sorrow and distress that flourished in the City like foul weeds.
44. As I read it in the white, morning sunlight, the letters squirmed like snakes.
45. Oh, praise me not the silent folk; / To me they only seem / Like leafless, bird-abandoned oak.
46. The windflowers and the lilies were yellow striped as adders tongue.
47. I have seen old ships sail like swans asleep.
48. For the worlds events have rumbled on since those days like traffic.
49. And dance as dust before the sun, light of foot and unconfined.
50. The fishes skim like umber shades through the undulating weeds.
51. Gather up the undiscovered universe like jewels in a jasper cup.
Common Core State Standards Related to Simile
Alliteration Examples
Alliteration is a poetic technique in which the initial consonant sounds of words are repeated in close succession. To put it more simply: alliteration is when the beginning sounds of words repeat. It is important to note that alliteration is about the sounds of words, not the letters; therefore, the letter k and c can be used alliteratively (as in kitchen and cookie), as well as the letter s and c (as in sparkle and cycle). Also, the words do not need to be directly next to each other in the sentence or stanza to be considered alliterative (although they often are). There is no agreed upon rule governing the distance that alliterative words must share in order for these words to be considered alliteration, but a good guideline to follow is that if you can not detect the repetition of the sounds upon reading the text aloud, then it is unlikely that others would consider the use to be alliterative. Here is a list of 101 examples of alliteration in alphabetical order:
Examples of Alliteration Using the B Sound
1. Janie read a book by the babbling brook.
2. The child bounced the ball at the backyard barbeque.
3. The barbarians broke through the barricade.
4. He acts silly at times, but he was blessed with a brilliant brain.
5. The beautiful bouquet blossomed in the bright sun.
Examples of Alliteration Using the C and K Sounds
6. When the canary keeled over, the coal miners left the cave.
7. The captain couldnt keep the men in the cabin.
8. Erin cooked cupcakes in the kitchen.
9. My Cadillac was completely crushed in a car crash.
10. The candy was killing my cavity.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Ch Sound
11. Despite their mothers warnings, the children chose to chew with their mouths open.
12. The rich man was so cheap that it was chilling.
13. The crowd cheered when the champion hit the challenger with a chair.
14. We sat around the campfire and chomped on chunks of charred chicken.
15. Change the channel.
Examples of Alliteration Using the D Sound
16. They would have been on time, if they didnt dilly-dally.
17. He dunked the delicious donut in dairy creamer.
18. There is nothing but death in the desert during the day.
19. I woke up at school in a slobbery pool; though I used to be dry, now Im drowning in drool.
20. I dreamt of a drip-dropping drain in my dream.
Examples of Alliteration Using the F and Ph Sounds
21. Your friends will flip-flop fast when facing trouble.
22. Our financial future fell into a freefall.
23. The stuntman flipped from a forty foot Ferris wheel.
24. I forgot my flip phone but felt free.
25. Thats the first photo of France from the Moon.
Examples of Alliteration Using the G Sound
26. When the tests were distributed, the guys grimaced and groaned.
27. The girl grabbed the golden goose and ran.
28. Grass grows greener in the graveyard.
29. The ghouls and ghosts greeted the gangly goblins.
30. I reached under the desk and grabbed the gross gum.
Examples of Alliteration Using the H Sound
31. The hummingbirds hovered in heavenly harmony.
32. She happily helped the homeless.
33. The hecklers hassled the humble harmonica player.
34. After Monique dumped Brian, his heart hung heavily.
35. Those horses have heavy hooves.
Examples of Alliteration Using the J and G Sounds
36. The gentle giant jumped in jubilation.
37. Juggling jack olanterns is my job.
38. He jabbed the javelin into the jail cell.
39. Jellyfish have germs and jarring toxins.
40. The gym was jammed with jelly jars and junk.
Examples of Alliteration Using the L Sound
41. Whenever he lied, he lisped a little.
42. The lion licked his lips.
43. Feeling rather lazy, he laid low in the lounge.
44. We lamented the Lords lost labor.
45. Her love languished in the limelight.
Examples of Alliteration Using the M Sound
46. Menacing sounds of mashing metal machines emanated from the mines.
47. All of the millionaires money only made him more melancholy.
48. My mother makes a mouthwatering mincemeat pie.
49. There are madmen in the middle of those mountains.
50. Most monsters dont mind making messes.
Examples of Alliteration Using the N, Gn, and Kn Sounds
51. My neighbors are not normally noisy.
52. I knew that shed be a natural at kneading the noodle dough.
53. The ninjas gnashed their knives and nailed their targets.
54. The newt nuzzled in a narrow nook.
55. Mom nabbed herniece by the nape of her neck.
Examples of Alliteration Using the P Sound
56. The prince pressed the royal seal on the purple parchment.
57. A paper plane passed over my head.
58. The parrot perched upon the pirates peacoat.
59. Sue went to the party and pretended that she was people person.
60. The girls played patty-cake on the park bench.
Examples of Alliteration Using the R and Wr Sounds
61. The red roses were wrapped in ribbons.
62. She rarely reads; shed rather write her own books.
63. A radar ringrippledacross the monitor.
64. Those ravenous research rabbits have gone rabid!
65. The reporter wrote about the rebel raid.
Examples of Alliteration Using the S and C Sounds
66. The snake slithered across the sandy seaside.
67. My sassy sister slapped the villain silly.
68. Thats the sound of someone sipping soup for supper.
69. She sniffed and smelled sage and sassafras.
70. Seeking sanctuary, they formed a circle of spears.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Sh Sound
71. She should share her sherbert with her sister.
72. A shard of shrapnel shaved her shoulder blade.
73. The sheep were schlepping shyly by the shark tank.
74. He found a shell that even shimmered in the shade.
75. The sheriff wore a shiny star shaped shield.
Examples of Alliteration Using the St Sound
76. The store clerk stood and stared at me in stupor.
77. She stuck the stolen stapler in her suitcase.
78. The students threw stones through the stained glass steeple.
79. Everything rested on the strength of the steel structure.
80. Stern winds strew still waters.
Examples of Alliteration Using the T Sound
81. The teacher took the troublemakers toys.
82. They trounced us in the tried and true tradition.
83. The tattle-tale tried to tell the teacher.
84. Try the turkey tacos; theyre quite tasty.
85. The tornado tossed the trailer like a trash can.
Examples of Alliteration Using the V Sound
86. The vapid vixen vented her various vexations.
87. Valiance is a virtue often vacant from these vermin.
88. We viewed the verdant valleys vaunted vegetation.
89. The ventriloquist varied his voice vociferously.
90. Her views on vices were vaguely veiled at best.
Examples of Alliteration Using the W Sound
91. The wind was whistling through the weeping willows.
92. Construction workers whistled at the women.
93. We welcomed all the wise men from the West.
94. Dont wage a war of words against the world.
95. The waffles worsened while the waiter waited.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Y, Eu, and U Sounds
96. In her youth she yearned to wander yonder Europe.
97. Im used to yelling at you yellowbellies.
98. Your usefulness was used up yesterday.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Z and X Sound
99. My zodiac was zooming toward the zenith.
100. The xanthous xenophobes were overzealous.
101. The player zipped by the zonal defense and zeroed in on the end zone.
Alliteration Examples
Alliteration is a poetic technique in which the initial consonant sounds of words are repeated in close succession. To put it more simply: alliteration is when the beginning sounds of words repeat. It is important to note that alliteration is about the sounds of words, not the letters; therefore, the letter k and c can be used alliteratively (as in kitchen and cookie), as well as the letter s and c (as in sparkle and cycle). Also, the words do not need to be directly next to each other in the sentence or stanza to be considered alliterative (although they often are). There is no agreed upon rule governing the distance that alliterative words must share in order for these words to be considered alliteration, but a good guideline to follow is that if you can not detect the repetition of the sounds upon reading the text aloud, then it is unlikely that others would consider the use to be alliterative. Here is a list of 101 examples of alliteration in alphabetical order:
Examples of Alliteration Using the B Sound
1. Janie read a book by the babbling brook.
2. The child bounced the ball at the backyard barbeque.
3. The barbarians broke through the barricade.
4. He acts silly at times, but he was blessed with a brilliant brain.
5. The beautiful bouquet blossomed in the bright sun.
Examples of Alliteration Using the C and K Sounds
6. When the canary keeled over, the coal miners left the cave.
7. The captain couldnt keep the men in the cabin.
8. Erin cooked cupcakes in the kitchen.
9. My Cadillac was completely crushed in a car crash.
10. The candy was killing my cavity.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Ch Sound
11. Despite their mothers warnings, the children chose to chew with their mouths open.
12. The rich man was so cheap that it was chilling.
13. The crowd cheered when the champion hit the challenger with a chair.
14. We sat around the campfire and chomped on chunks of charred chicken.
15. Change the channel.
Examples of Alliteration Using the D Sound
16. They would have been on time, if they didnt dilly-dally.
17. He dunked the delicious donut in dairy creamer.
18. There is nothing but death in the desert during the day.
19. I woke up at school in a slobbery pool; though I used to be dry, now Im drowning in drool.
20. I dreamt of a drip-dropping drain in my dream.
Examples of Alliteration Using the F and Ph Sounds
21. Your friends will flip-flop fast when facing trouble.
22. Our financial future fell into a freefall.
23. The stuntman flipped from a forty foot Ferris wheel.
24. I forgot my flip phone but felt free.
25. Thats the first photo of France from the Moon.
Examples of Alliteration Using the G Sound
26. When the tests were distributed, the guys grimaced and groaned.
27. The girl grabbed the golden goose and ran.
28. Grass grows greener in the graveyard.
29. The ghouls and ghosts greeted the gangly goblins.
30. I reached under the desk and grabbed the gross gum.
Examples of Alliteration Using the H Sound
31. The hummingbirds hovered in heavenly harmony.
32. She happily helped the homeless.
33. The hecklers hassled the humble harmonica player.
34. After Monique dumped Brian, his heart hung heavily.
35. Those horses have heavy hooves.
Examples of Alliteration Using the J and G Sounds
36. The gentle giant jumped in jubilation.
37. Juggling jack olanterns is my job.
38. He jabbed the javelin into the jail cell.
39. Jellyfish have germs and jarring toxins.
40. The gym was jammed with jelly jars and junk.
Examples of Alliteration Using the L Sound
41. Whenever he lied, he lisped a little.
42. The lion licked his lips.
43. Feeling rather lazy, he laid low in the lounge.
44. We lamented the Lords lost labor.
45. Her love languished in the limelight.
Examples of Alliteration Using the M Sound
46. Menacing sounds of mashing metal machines emanated from the mines.
47. All of the millionaires money only made him more melancholy.
48. My mother makes a mouthwatering mincemeat pie.
49. There are madmen in the middle of those mountains.
50. Most monsters dont mind making messes.
Examples of Alliteration Using the N, Gn, and Kn Sounds
51. My neighbors are not normally noisy.
52. I knew that shed be a natural at kneading the noodle dough.
53. The ninjas gnashed their knives and nailed their targets.
54. The newt nuzzled in a narrow nook.
55. Mom nabbed herniece by the nape of her neck.
Examples of Alliteration Using the P Sound
56. The prince pressed the royal seal on the purple parchment.
57. A paper plane passed over my head.
58. The parrot perched upon the pirates peacoat.
59. Sue went to the party and pretended that she was people person.
60. The girls played patty-cake on the park bench.
Examples of Alliteration Using the R and Wr Sounds
61. The red roses were wrapped in ribbons.
62. She rarely reads; shed rather write her own books.
63. A radar ringrippledacross the monitor.
64. Those ravenous research rabbits have gone rabid!
65. The reporter wrote about the rebel raid.
Examples of Alliteration Using the S and C Sounds
66. The snake slithered across the sandy seaside.
67. My sassy sister slapped the villain silly.
68. Thats the sound of someone sipping soup for supper.
69. She sniffed and smelled sage and sassafras.
70. Seeking sanctuary, they formed a circle of spears.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Sh Sound
71. She should share her sherbert with her sister.
72. A shard of shrapnel shaved her shoulder blade.
73. The sheep were schlepping shyly by the shark tank.
74. He found a shell that even shimmered in the shade.
75. The sheriff wore a shiny star shaped shield.
Examples of Alliteration Using the St Sound
76. The store clerk stood and stared at me in stupor.
77. She stuck the stolen stapler in her suitcase.
78. The students threw stones through the stained glass steeple.
79. Everything rested on the strength of the steel structure.
80. Stern winds strew still waters.
Examples of Alliteration Using the T Sound
81. The teacher took the troublemakers toys.
82. They trounced us in the tried and true tradition.
83. The tattle-tale tried to tell the teacher.
84. Try the turkey tacos; theyre quite tasty.
85. The tornado tossed the trailer like a trash can.
Examples of Alliteration Using the V Sound
86. The vapid vixen vented her various vexations.
87. Valiance is a virtue often vacant from these vermin.
88. We viewed the verdant valleys vaunted vegetation.
89. The ventriloquist varied his voice vociferously.
90. Her views on vices were vaguely veiled at best.
Examples of Alliteration Using the W Sound
91. The wind was whistling through the weeping willows.
92. Construction workers whistled at the women.
93. We welcomed all the wise men from the West.
94. Dont wage a war of words against the world.
95. The waffles worsened while the waiter waited.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Y, Eu, and U Sounds
96. In her youth she yearned to wander yonder Europe.
97. Im used to yelling at you yellowbellies.
98. Your usefulness was used up yesterday.
Examples of Alliteration Using the Z and X Sound
99. My zodiac was zooming toward the zenith.
100. The xanthous xenophobes were overzealous.
101. The player zipped by the zonal defense and zeroed in on the end zone.
Onomatopoeia Examples
Onomatopoeia is when a words pronunciation imitates its sound. When you say an onomatopoeic word, the utterance itself is reminiscent of the sound to which the word refers. Poets use onomatopoeia to access the readers auditory sense and create rich soundscapes. It is one of manypoetic devicesdealing with the sounds of poetry. Many people confuse onomatopoeia with interjections; however, they are two different and distinct concepts. Interjections are one of the eight parts of speech. An interjection is a sudden outburst of emotion or excitement, such as ouch or wow.
While some onomatopoeic words may be used as interjections, most interjections do not imitate sounds. Contrarily, onomatopoeic words, such as buzz or boom, always mimic the noises to which they refer. Here are 101 examples of onomatopoeia:
1. The sheep went, Baa.
2. The best part about music class is that you can bangon the drum.
3. It is not unusual for a dog to bark when visitors arrive.
4. Silence your cellphone so that it does not beep during the movie.
5. Dad released abelchfrom the pit of his stomach.
6. The bridge collapsed creating a tremendous boom.
7. The large dog said, Bow-wow!
8. Are you afraid of things that go bumpin the night?
9. My brother canburpthe alphabet.
10. Both bees and buzzers buzz.
11. The cash register popped open with a heart warming ca-ching.
12. The birds chirp filled the empty night air.
13. Her heels clacked on the hardwood floor.
14. The clanging pots and pans awoke the baby.
15. If you want the red team to win, clap your hands right now!
16. The cadets swelled with pride when they heard the clash of the symbols at their graduation ceremony.
17. The dishes fell to the floor with a clatter.
18. Nothing annoys me more than rapidly clickingyour pen.
19. The bride and groom were not surprised to hear the familiar sound of clinking glasses.
20. The horses hooves clip-clopped on the cobblestones.
21. Those clucking chickens are driving me crazy!
22. The dim-witted pigeon repulsed us with its nerve crawling coo.
23. If youre going to cough, please cover your mouth.
24. The prisoner was terrified to hear the crack of the whip.
25. We roasted marshmallows over the crackling fire.
26. The two-year old crashed into the cabinet.
27. The cabinet opened with a distinct creak.
28. Dissatisfied with her work, Beth crinkled up the paper and threw it in the trash.
29. The swamp frogs croaked in unison.
30. The teacher heard the distinct crunch of ruffled potato chips.
31. Jacob could not sleep with the steady drip-drop of water coming from the sink.
32. The root beer fizzed over the top of the mug.
33. The flag flapped in wind.
34. Did you forget toflush thetoilet?
35. Darylgargledthe mouthwash.
36. The wounded soldier groaned.
37. As Tom got closer, the dog began growling.
38. Juan had a hard time hearing the teacher over his grumbling stomach.
39. When Mom asked Tommy how his day went, Tommy just grunted.
40. Vincegulped down the Mountain Dew.
41. The patient sounded like he was hacking up a lung.
42. If you have thehiccups, you should try drink a glass of water.
43. The snake slithered and hissed.
44. If you see anyone coming, honk your horn.
45. The wolves howled at the moon.
46. The new pencil sharpener hummed efficiently.
47. They knew that the principal was coming because they heard the jingle of his keys.
48. Someone is knocking on the door.
49. That cat will keep meowing until you pet it.
50. John was disturbed by the strange moaning.
51. The cow aggressively mooed at the passing freight train.
52. Janetmurmuredthe answer under her breath.
53. While lounging in the slop pile, the pigs oinked excitedly.
54. The hail pattered on the tin gutter.
55. When he saw the cheese, the mouse could not help but to peepexcitedly.
56. The lunch lady plopped a scoop of something on Kristens tray.
57. Billy will cry if you pop his balloon.
58. After eating the knight, the dragon let out a puff of smoke.
59. Most cats purr if you pet them behind the ears.
60. The kind man shared his bread with the quacking ducks.
61. My favorite singers have raspy voices.
62. Tim would have stepped on the snake had he not heard the rattle of its tail.
63. The race-car driver revved his engine.
64. Our peaceful dinner ended when the phone began ringing.
65. I secretly ripped up the birthday checks that my grandmother sent me.
66. The lions mighty roar could be heard across the Savannah.
67. The earthquake rumbled the foundations of our house.
68. When the wind blew the leaves rustled.
69. He took off so quickly that his tires screeched.
70. When Reuben saw what he thought was a ghost, he shrieked like a woman.
71. I love the sound of bacon sizzling on a weekend.
72. You could hear the slap echo across the valley.
73. The thirsty dog slurped the dirty water from the puddle.
74. The young girl smacked her lips and spoke rudely.
75. Frank smashed the can on his head.
76. After making a rude remark, Jade snapped her fingers and rolled her neck.
77. Having never left the city, Juan eagerly sniffed the country air.
78. Tommy made me laugh so hard in the lunchroom that I snorted milk out of my nose.
79. The paintball splattered against the windshield.
80. Fat Pat did a cannonball in the pool and made a big splash.
81. Mr. Morton told the student tospit out his gum.
82. Angiesprayedher neighbor with the hose.
83. Mark tried sneaking in the house but the squeak of his shoes woke up Mom.
84. Jenna ran around the lunchroom squealing like a pig.
85. When he sat down, the young boy squished the unfortunate critter in his pocket.
86. The musician used a coin to strum the guitar.
87. Shaun loved the swish of the basketball net.
88. Mitchel gentlytapped the ball into the hole.
89. Time just keeps on ticking.
90. Bobby threw his books down with a thud.
91. That thump made us jump.
92. If you see him, toot your horn.
93. The rain trickled down the gutter.
94. Birdstweeted long before Twitter did.
95. The lawyer chased after the wail of the sirens.
96. The bullet whizzed by his ear.
97. Bobs big dogswoofedat the unfortunate mail main.
98. Beths little dog would not stopyapping.
99. Spaceman Spiffzappedthe alien with his ray-gun.
100. Ronald zippedup his sleeping bag.
101. The race carzoomed past the finish line
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the initial consonant sound in words. An easier (though less exact) way to say this is that alliteration is when the first sounds in words repeat. Alliteration often works with assonance and consonance to make phonetically pleasing arrangements.
Jakia jumped in the jar of jelly.
Despite their mothers warnings, the children chose to chew with their mouths open.
The grass grew green in the graveyard.
Notice the repetition of the j sound in the first example? Alliteration is not always so jarringly obvious. Sometimes it is very subtle, such as in the following example:
Though this example is still pretty obvious, it shows that even when one word starts with a k and another word starts with a c, it is still considered an instance of alliteration. When we study alliteration, we are concerned with the sounds of the words, not just the letters.
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. It is often used in combination with consonance and alliteration.
He saw the cost and hauled off.
Will she read these cheap leaflets.
The snow in the rose garden groaned.
Notice the repetition of the awe sounds in the first example, the e sounds in the second example, or the o sounds in the third example? Assonance can be subtle and may go unnoticed if youre not scanning for it.
Consonance
Also known as near rhyme, off rhyme, or slant rhyme, consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words. Using consonance is a sophisticated poetic technique that can create subtle yet beautiful lyrics or lines of poetry. Here is an example of consonance:
Her finger hungered for a ring.
The satin mittens were ancient.
You could paddle through the spittle in the bottle.
Though the first of the above examples is also an example of personification, we are interested in the repetition of the nger and ng sounds. If nobody is around you right now, say out loud, hungry and angry. Notice how similar the words sound? What you are hearing is consonance, or the repetition of the ngry consonant sounds.
Enjambment
Enjambment is when the writer uses line breaks meaningfully and abruptly to either emphasize a point or to create dual meanings. When a poem is read, the reader will conventionally make a slight pause (shorter than a comma) when transitioning from line to line. When a writer uses enjambment, he or she uses this space to spread an idea over more than one line, either creating an alternate interpretation of the lines or drawing attention to the enjambed words.
Rolling through the field in thedeadof winter.
When the word dead is placed on a line in isolation, it invites the reader to focus on that idea. Surrounded by empty space, the idea may resonate powerfully. Though enjambment could be used during a speech, the term enjambment is generally applied to the study of poetry.
Imagery
Imagery is when the writer or speaker uses their descriptions to access the senses of the reader of listener. Sometimes this is called, using sensory details. When I say senses or sensory, I am referring to the five senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell.
An old lump of snow melted in the corner.
The chirping crickets filled the empty night air.
I was awoken by the pleasing scent of the bacon as it wafted down the hallway.
As you read the first example, you might be visualize snow melting, because the description accesses your sense of sight. When you read the second example, you may imagine the noises that crickets produce, as the imagery in the text references this sound. And as you encounter the third example, you may recall the aroma of bacon based on the imagery in the sentence. Good writers dont just tell you things, they show you things by using imagery.
Repetition
Repetition is when the writer or speaker knowingly repeats a word or group of words for effect. This is a strong rhetorical technique that can also be used to build a theme in a speech or poem. It is important to note that it is not considered using repetition when a writer or speaker repeats essential articles, prepositions, pronouns, or conjunctions that are frequently used unintentionally as the mechanics of language dictate.
Nobody, oh nobody can make it out here alone.
Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
Love is a red, red rose.
In the first example, only one word in the sentence is repeating: nobody. Nonetheless, this is still considered repetition. A poet, writer, or speaker may also repeat more than one word to have a greater impact or to highlight the importance of an idea, such as in the second example. In the second example a whole group of words repeats: Free at last. Each method of repetition can effectively embolden a message.
Rhyme
Rhyme is when the end or final sound of two or more words are identical. If the end sounds are not identical, then the speaker or writer is using consonance or assonance instead. Rhymes can also occur internally or on the inside of words or lines of poetry. A rhyme may also be monosyllabic (a one syllable rhyme) or polysyllabic (rhyme two or more syllables), such as in the following examples:
I left my punch card on the lunch yard.
I drove a race car to the space bar.
We saw a butter fly flutter by.
This is the technique that students most often associate with poetry, but I encourage my students to try writing free or blank verse, as it takes much poetic skill to freely maneuver within the confines of a rhyme scheme.
Rhythm
Rhythm is when the arrangement of words creates an audible pattern or beat when read out loud. A good way to check to see if a passage of text is using rhythm is to just hum the sounds that the words make rather than clearly pronouncing them. If you can hear a song or identify a form in the sounds, then the text is rhythmic.
There once was a guy from Chicago / Who drank away all of his problems.
I know it is wet and the sun is not sunny / but we can have lots of good fun that is funny.
Shall I compare thee to a summers day?
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