Basic Details
Word: Alliteration
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The use of the same first sound in several words that are close together, as in big brown bears.
How to Spell Alliteration
Syllables: al - lit - er - a - tion
Tricky part: Double l at the start but a single t in the middle. Students often reverse them and write aliteration or allitteration.
Watch out for: aliteration, allitteration, alliteracion
Memory tip: Alliteration plays with letters, and it shares liter with literature and literal. Put al in front for the ll and keep the single t of literature.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers is a famous tongue twister full of alliteration.
Example 2: The poet used alliteration in the line silent snow settles softly.
Example 3: Our teacher asked us to write a slogan for the school fete using alliteration.
Fun Fact
Many cartoon and brand names use alliteration because it sticks in the memory, such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Coca-Cola.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. alliteration 2. metafor 3. personnification 4. onomatopia
a) a word that copies the sound it names, such as buzz
b) giving human qualities to things that are not human
c) calling one thing another to compare them, without using like or as
d) the use of the same first sound in words close together
Show answer
d) the use of the same first sound in words close together. Metaphor has ph, personification has a single n after perso and onomatopoeia ends in -poeia; only alliteration is right.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
a_lit_ra_ion
a) l, a, t
b) l, e, s
c) l, e, c
d) l, e, t
Show answer
d) l, e, t. Al plus liter gives the ll, er follows the t, and the word ends in the usual -tion.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Seven silver swans swam south is a fine example of ltaeiaiotnlr.
a) alliteration
b) illustration
c) literature
d) alteration
Show answer
a) alliteration. Alteration has one l and one i; twelve letters with two l's and two i's make alliteration.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which line uses alliteration?
a) Tiny turtles take tea at two.
b) The cat sat on a mat.
c) Rain fell all day long.
d) I ate an apple at noon.
Show answer
a) Tiny turtles take tea at two.
2. In alliteration, the words close together share the same ____.
a) meaning
b) first sound
c) number of syllables
d) last letter
Show answer
b) first sound
