What is alliteration? A quick guide to this writing tool

Alliteration is a classic, effective writing technique. Alliteration used in poetry, brand names, taglines, headlines, and in everyday speech.

Whether you’re writing for pleasure or work, using alliteration in combination with a grammar checker such as Trinka’s will quickly improve your writing.

Why do writers use alliteration?

Alliteration makes writing more memorable and easier to read aloud, creating a sense of rhythm, without feeling forced.

• It provides sentences with a rhythm and quality.
• It helps draw attention to specific words or ideas.
• It aids brand names and slogans (such as Coca-Cola, Dunkin’ Donuts, PayPal) to be remembered by the consumer.

Where can you commonly find alliteration?

You will find alliteration in all types of writing and speech, not just in poetry and children’s books.

• In journalism, it is often used in headlines, to create an eye-catching title.
• For brand names, it helps the title to be remembered easily.
• In speeches and public addresses, it is often used by the speaker to drive home a point.

What’s the difference between alliteration and assonance?

These two words are often confused. The difference between the two relies on the difference between sound and letter repetition.

Alliteration requires the repetition of beginning sounds, whereas assonance requires the repetition of sounds at the center of words.

• Alliteration is Sally sells seashells where the starting sounds are all the same.
• Assonance is the rain in Spain where the vowel sound is the same.
• These are only two different uses of words.

How to write alliteration without overdoing it?

You do not want to over-do alliteration in one sentence, as it is rather distracting and can make writing feel childish.

• You must first identify the words and the thoughts that you wish to convey. Then, it’s down to searching for those word sounds.
• Aim for no more than two or three words in a row.
• If a sentence that uses alliteration does not roll off the tongue, either rework the sentence or omit the use of alliteration.

Common Examples of Alliteration in Literature

Classic literature includes some fantastic examples of alliteration being used perfectly by authors:

• “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes.” (Shakespeare-Romeo and Juliet)
• “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew.” (Coleridge-The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
• “Behemoth, biggest born of earth.” (Milton-Paradise Lost)

Can you use alliteration in everyday writing?

Yes, but not as effectively as it is used in literature. You will frequently find alliteration in emails, social media posts, product descriptions, etc.

• The use of alliteration such as in a subject line of: ‘Fresh Finds for Fall’ makes the email much more interesting than a subject line of ‘Fall Goods’.
• A product tagline of ‘Bold Brews, Better Mornings’ uses alliteration.
• Even in a meeting title, the use of alliteration like: ‘Progress, Plans, and Priorities’, gives it a nice flow.

How to check if your writing flows well after using alliteration?

Once you have finished writing, review your work. Reading your writing aloud, even if alliteration reads fine in your mind, you might find that when read aloud it does not flow at all.

Check for errors with a free grammar checker, such as Trinka’s grammar checker, for writing that does not skip over words when it comes to style checks.