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
