Basic Details
Word: Consonance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A pleasing agreement or harmony between things. In poetry it is the repeating of the same consonant sound in words close together, and in music it means notes that sound pleasant together.
Synonyms: harmony, agreement, accord
Antonyms: dissonance, discord, disagreement
How to Spell Consonance
Syllables: con - so - nance
Tricky part: The ending is ance, not ence, and there is only one n in the middle. The unstressed middle o is easy to write as a or i.
Watch out for: consonence, consonanse, consonnance
Memory tip: Consonance is built from consonant: swap the final t of consonant for ce, and the a of ant stays to make ance.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The two leaders spoke in consonance on the need to clean up the river.
Example 2: The poem's closing lines are full of consonance, with the s and t sounds returning again and again.
Example 3: The tabla and sitar played in perfect consonance at the school concert.
Fun Fact
In music, two notes an octave or a fifth apart are heard as consonant, while two notes only a semitone apart clash and are called dissonant.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are misspelt. Choose the meaning of the one spelt correctly.
1. dominence 2. consonance 3. tolerence 4. resonence
a) harmony or agreement between things
b) a deep, full sound that seems to keep ringing
c) willingness to accept views or habits different from your own
d) power or control over others
Show answer
a) harmony or agreement between things. Consonance is the one spelt right; resonance, dominance and tolerance end in ance as well.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to consonance as used in the sentence:
The new school timings were fixed in consonance with the wishes of most parents.
a) harmony
b) hurry
c) conflict
d) silence
Show answer
a) harmony. In consonance with means in harmony with, or in line with; conflict is close to the opposite.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
conso_an_e
a) n, s
b) n, t
c) n, c
d) m, c
Show answer
c) n, c. A single n leads into the ending, and the soft s sound at the end is spelt ce.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In which phrase can you hear consonance, the same consonant sound repeating?
a) pitter-patter
b) a happy day
c) blue moon
d) sea and air
Show answer
a) pitter-patter
2. What is the opposite of consonance in music?
a) dissonance
b) assonance
c) endurance
d) resonance
Show answer
a) dissonance
