Which device uses repeating consonant sounds at the beginnings of words?

Which device uses repeating consonant sounds at the beginnings of words?

• A. Alliteration
• B. Assonance
• C. Consonance
• D. Onomatopoeia

Answer: (A)

Alliteration is when the initial consonant sound is repeated in neighboring or closely connected words, creating a musical or rhythmic effect. This repetition at the beginnings of words helps bind the phrase together and can emphasize a mood or texture in the line. For example, in a line like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” the repeated initial “p” sound links several words and gives the line a playful, punchy feel. Assonance, by contrast, repeats vowel sounds rather than consonants and isn’t tied to the starts of words. Consonance repeats consonant sounds as well, but not necessarily at the beginnings of words; the repetition can occur in the middle or end of words. Onomatopoeia, meanwhile, uses words that imitate actual sounds. Since the question specifies repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words, the feature described is alliteration.

Alliteration is when the initial consonant sound is repeated in neighboring or closely connected words, creating a musical or rhythmic effect. This repetition at the beginnings of words helps bind the phrase together and can emphasize a mood or texture in the line. For example, in a line like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” the repeated initial “p” sound links several words and gives the line a playful, punchy feel.

Assonance, by contrast, repeats vowel sounds rather than consonants and isn’t tied to the starts of words. Consonance repeats consonant sounds as well, but not necessarily at the beginnings of words; the repetition can occur in the middle or end of words. Onomatopoeia, meanwhile, uses words that imitate actual sounds. Since the question specifies repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words, the feature described is alliteration.