Alliteration is a literary technique in which successive words (more strictly, stressed syllables) begin with the same consonant sound. Alliteration is a frequent tool of poetry but it is also common in prose, particularly short phrases. In the English language, alliteration can be discerned in Old English poetry, and was a central component thereof. Alliterative verse in one form or another is shared by all of the older Germanic languages.

Assonance is a kind of alliteration that uses repeated initial vowel sounds.

Well-known examples of alliteration are tongue-twisters such as "Round the rugged rock the ragged rascal ran" or "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers".

Alliteration makes for very catchy phrases and is frequently used in modern news headlines, corporate names, literary titles, advertising, buzzwords, and nursery rhymes. Some examples:

• back to the basics
• balance the books
• Big Ben
• boom or bust
• Coca-Cola
• Donald Duck
• Mickey Mouse
• Monday morning
• pay the price
• peer-to-peer
• it takes two to tango

External Link

• Likely links on alliteration from the Open Directory Project\n