Back to Basics: Alliteration

Alliteration is one of the less obvious forms of figurative language. It is much more about impact rather than the image produced, so it can be easy to overlook.

What exactly is alliteration? Alliterative text uses the repetition of initial consonant sounds for effect, which is to say, the author uses words that start with the same letter, or same consonant sound, in a row to make a phrase stand out.

Tongue twisters are almost always alliterative.

Sally sells sea shells by the sea shore.

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

Why is alliteration used?
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Dependent upon the type of writing, there are several reasons one may choose to alliterate. Sometimes it is a stylistic choice to illustrate a specific character’s verbal eccentricities. At times, it may add to the atmosphere of a scene.

Just as a personal example, I have a particular character who is a snake based chimera. Due to this, he has a lisping way of speaking that verges on hissing with high emotion. Instead of writing out this particular sound cue, which becomes grating quickly, alliteration and consonance allowed for the effect to be implied.

Consonance is that same repetition of consonant sounds within any syllable other than the initial one.

Beyond the aesthetics of a scene, alliteration is sometimes used to draw the reader’s attention. This is particularly useful when used sparingly in longer, relatively dry works. Scholarly papers or business correspondence can, at times, become long and boring. A well placed bit of alliteration can “wake” the reader up and add impact to your key point.

However, this is one point where caution is advised. While it will add impact when used sparingly, overuse can have the opposite effect. Or actually, the effect can often be worse than simply boring your reader. Overuse of alliteration can make your writing seem juvenile. 

Download the elementary version of this lesson here.