Video:What Is Alliteration?
with Heather KaminsAlliteration is an effective way to add style and flavor to your writing. In this grammar video from About.com, learn all about this literary tool and how you can incorporate it into your writing.See Transcript
Transcript:What Is Alliteration?
Hello. This is Heather Kamins for About.com, and today I'm going to explain what alliteration is.
What is Alliteration?
Alliteration refers to a repeating of consonant sounds in a string of words. In other words, multiple words in a phrase or sentence start with the same letter. So for example - the bad boy broke his brother's blocks - that's kind of an extreme example, you've got five words that all start with the letter b. And they don't all have to start with the same letter in a single sentence, but if you have two or three different words, that's also considered alliteration.
How is Alliteration Used?
Alliteration is often used in poetry or narrative writing to create a stylistic effect, and different sounds can have different effects. So for example, if you say, the car crashed into the curb, the words have a K sound and are percussive, and if you're talking about a car crash, that can be an effect you want. On the other hand, if you say, she sang softly to her son, that's a more relaxed, softer kind of sound, which may be more appropriate for that phrase.
If you're writing an essay or another serious kind of piece, be careful not to use too much alliteration, because it can start to sound too silly if you use it too much. A little alliteration goes a long way towards giving your writing some flavor.Thanks for watching. To learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.