2.1.8

Alliteration

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Alliteration

Alliteration is the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of words next to each other. These are the same sounds, not necessarily the same letters (e.g. 'ph' and 'f' may sound the same in some words).

Alliteration of plosive sounds

Alliteration of plosive sounds

  • The dawn drank the darkness as the sun escaped her dungeon.
    • In this phrase, the sound ‘d’ is repeated four times.
    • Plosive sounds (such as d/b/t/p) are quite abrupt and strong. They grab the reader’s attention, especially when repeated.
    • In this phrase, we want to emphasise the darkness and negativity so we can highlight the change the sun brings.
Alliteration of fricative sounds

Alliteration of fricative sounds

  • He fumbled with the photo and froze.
    • In this phrase, the sound ‘f’ is repeated.
    • In addition, the ‘f’ sound is also created with the ‘ph’ in ‘photo’.
    • Fricative sounds (such as f/v/th) can either be quite soft and airy, or they can be aggressive (especially f/v, which you can only produce if you bare your teeth – an aggressive action).
Alliteration of affricative sounds

Alliteration of affricative sounds

  • He juggled gently with gigantic jellyfish.
    • In this phrase, the sound ‘j’ is repeated. In addition, the ‘j’ sound is also created with the soft letter ‘g’ (in ‘gigantic’, the first ‘g’ works because it is soft, but the second ‘g’ is not alliterative because it is a harder sound).
    • Affricative sounds (such as j) can be quite strange and jarring – they interrupt the softer flow of text and grab the reader’s attention, especially when repeated.

Tips for Using Alliteration

Alliteration is the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of words next to each other. These are the same sounds, not necessarily the same letters (e.g. 'ph' and 'f' may sound the same in some words).

Plan where alliteration should go

Plan where alliteration should go

  • Use alliteration carefully – before you put it into your writing, think about where it should go. What do you want to draw attention to?
Focus on the sound

Focus on the sound

  • Focus on the sound you are trying to create. Is your alliteration going to be smooth, airy, aggressive, or jarring? The type of sounds you choose to repeat will affect the mood of your writing.
Choose vocabulary wisely

Choose vocabulary wisely

  • Your choice of vocabulary is vital in creating your language devices effectively.
Jump to other topics
1

Key Terms

1.1

Key Terms

1.1.1Key Terms - Nouns, Verbs & Sentences1.1.2Key Terms - Sentence and Clause Types1.1.3Key Terms - Words, Sounds & Language1.1.4Key Terms - Types of Language1.1.5Key Terms - Images, Symbols & Mood1.1.6Key Terms - Mood & Feelings1.1.7Key Terms - Other Techniques1.1.8End of Topic Test - Key Terms
2

Language Devices

2.1

Language Devices

2.1.1Metaphors2.1.2Similes2.1.3Metaphors & Similes HyperLearning2.1.4Personification2.1.5Pathetic Fallacy2.1.6Puns & Oxymorons2.1.7Hyperbole & Emotive Language2.1.8Alliteration2.1.9Sibilance2.1.10Onomatopoeia2.1.11Recap: Language Devices2.1.12End of Topic Test - Language Devices
3

Writing Structure

3.1

Writing Structure

3.1.1Narrators3.1.2Paragraphs3.1.3Tense3.1.4Present vs Past vs Future Tense3.1.5Foreshadowing3.1.6Structure3.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Structure
4

Section B: Reading & Writing

4.1

Writing Formats

4.1.1Letter4.1.2Reports & Essays4.1.3Journal/Diary Entry4.1.4Speech4.1.5Newspaper Article4.1.6Leaflet4.1.7Review4.1.8Travel Writing4.1.9End of Topic Test - Writing Formats
4.2

Writing to...

4.2.1Writing to Inform4.2.2Writing to Inform - Example4.2.3Writing to Explain4.2.4Writing to Explain - Example4.2.5Writing to Persuade4.2.6Writing to Persuade - Example4.2.7Writing to Argue4.2.8Writing to Argue - Example4.2.9Writing to Persuade vs Writing to Argue4.2.10Writing to Advise4.2.11Writing to Advise - Example4.2.12End of Topic Test - Writing to...
4.3

Acronym of Techniques - DAFORESTAR

4.3.1Direct Address4.3.2Alliteration4.3.3Facts4.3.4Opinions4.3.5Repetition4.3.6Exaggeration (Hyperbole)4.3.7Statistics4.3.8Triple (Rule of 3)4.3.9Emotive Language4.3.10Rhetorical Questions4.3.11End of Topic Test - DAFORESTER
5

Section C: Writing

5.1

Writing Task

5.1.1Discursive Writing5.1.2Narrative Writing5.1.3Descriptive Writing5.1.4End of Topic Test - Writing Task

Practice questions on Alliteration

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  1. 1
    Which phrases use alliteration?True / false
  2. 2
    Which phrase uses alliteration?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    What type of sound does this alliteration create?<br><br><b>Yarvis yanked his ankle and Yolanda yelled out in shock.Multiple choice
  4. 4
    What type of sound does this alliteration create?<br><br><b>Sophia slept soundly upon the silky sofa.Multiple choice
  5. 5
    What type of sound does this alliteration create?<br><br><b>The monster murdered everyone in sight as he marched through the marshland.Multiple choice
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Hyperbole & Emotive Language

Sibilance