In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases. Alliteration has developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to the poem's meter, are stressed, as in James Thomson's verse "Come…dragging the lazy languid Line along".^[1]

Alliteration is usually distinguished as and within, from the mere repetition of the same sound at positions other than the beginning of each word — whether a consonant, as in "some mammals are clammy" (consonance) or a vowel, as in "yellow wedding bells" (assonance); but the term is sometimes used in these broader senses.^[2] Alliteration may also include the use of different consonants with similar properties (labials, dentals, etc.)^[3] or even the unwritten glottal stop that precedes virtually every word-initial vowel in the English language, as in the phrase "Apt alliteration's artful aid" (despite the unique pronunciation of the "a" in each word).^[4]

Alliteration is commonly used in many languages, especially in poetry. Alliterative verse was an important ingredient of poetry in Old English and other old Germanic languages like Old High German, Old Norse, and Old Saxon. This custom extended to personal name giving, such as in Old English given names.^[5] This is evidenced by the unbroken series of 9th century kings of Wessex named Æthelwulf, Æthelbald, Æthelberht, and Æthelred. These were followed in the 10th century by their direct descendants Æthelstan and Æthelred II, who ruled as kings of England.^[6] The Anglo-Saxon saints Tancred, Torhtred and Tova provide a similar example, among siblings.^[7]

Modern popular culture[link]

Alliteration is most commonly used in modern music but is also seen in magazine article titles, advertisements, business names, comic strip or cartoon characters, common sayings, and a variety of other titles and expressions:^[8]

• Animation: In Death Note, the pseudonym of the famous detective, L, is Ryuzaki Ryuga, his real name is L Lawliet.
• Books:
  • Often, characters in books are named with alliteration. Many character names in the Harry Potter series feature alliterations (e.g. Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin were the four wizards who founded Hogwarts School; Severus Snape, Minerva McGonnagall, and Filius Flitwick among the professors; Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang and Moaning Myrtle among the students; and Gellert Grindelwald a dark wizard). Similarly, in Hairspray, most characters' names feature alliterations (e.g. Tracy Turnblad, Link Larkin, Corny Collins, Dan Dougherty, Penny Pingleton, Seaweed Stubbs, Velma VonTussle, Motormouth Maybelle, etc.).
  • Titles of books sometimes use alliteration, including the titles of all thirteen books (except the last one) in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Author Jeff Lindsay's series of novels about amicable serial killer Dexter Morgan all feature alliteration in their titles: Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter in the Dark, Dexter By Design, Dexter is Delicious and Double Dexter. The titular narrator often uses similar D-themed alliteration in his thoughts and dialogue.
  • All the books written by Gilderoy Lockhart in the Harry Potter series. For example, Break with a Banshee, The Travel Trilogy, Travels with Trolls, Voyages with Vampires, Wanderings with Werewolves, Gadding with Ghouls, Holidays with Hags etc.
  • A common application of alliteration is in books intended for children learning about letters. Animalia by Graeme Base famously applies alliteration within a storybook, going in order through each letter of the English alphabet and providing many sentences with alliteration.
  • Places in books: Bat Barn, Terror Tombs, Vampire Village, etc.
• Code names: The release names of the Linux distribution, Ubuntu (e.g. Breezy Badger, Hoary Hedgehog, Feisty Fawn, etc.).
• Game Titles: Prince of Persia (also the tag: Prince of Persia – Warrior Within). VVVVVV goes so far as to have a title made up of only a single repeated letter, and the six characters of the game all sport a name starting with V.
• Comics/cartoons: Beetle Bailey, Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, etc.
• Figures of speech: "busy as a bee", "dead as a doornail", "good as gold", "right as rain", etc.
• Film titles: Dirty Dancing, King Kong, Captains Courageous, Revolutionary Road, Donnie Darko, What Women Want
  • V for Vendetta, which also features a self-introductory monologue by the title character, a few paragraphs long, that consists almost entirely of words starting with the letter V.
  • Stan Lee has stated that he used alliteration extensively when naming his superhero characters because such names stand out and are more memorable (e.g. Scott Summers, Peter Parker, Sue Storm, Reed Richards, Matt Murdock, Bruce Banner, and many others). **The Siegel/Shuster-created Superman franchise is also known for including much alliteration in character names, most repeatedly with the initials L.L. (Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Linda Lee Danvers and many others).
• Magazine articles: “Science has Spoiled my Supper”,^[9] “Too Much Talent in Tennessee?”,^[10] and "Kurdish Control of Kirkuk Creates a Powder Keg in Iraq"^[11]
• Music: The Platters' Twilight Time, CSN's Helplessly Hoping, Janet Jackson, Franz Ferdinand, Cactus Cuties, Kerry Katona, Blackalicious's Alphabet Aerobics. Within Tupac Shakur's song If I Die 2 Nite, the lyrics consist of alliteration mostly with "P" beginning words, sometimes replaced by "C" or "K".
• Names and pseudonyms of real people: Galileo Galilei, Alexander Alekhine, Charlotte Sharman, Robert Robinson, Lydia Litvyak, Christopher Columbus, Marilyn Monroe, etc.
• News copy: “Buffalo Blaze Busters” or “Pistol Packing Punks” – Irv Weinstein, WKBW-TV
• Shops: "Coffee Corner", "Sushi Station", "Best Buy", "Circuit City", "Caribou Coffee", etc.
• Sports teams: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles Lakers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Phillies, Tennessee Titans, Brisbane Broncos, Penrith Panthers, Sydney Swans, Hawthorn Hawks, Port Adelaide Power, St Kilda Saints, Canterbury Crusaders, Washington Wizards

Alliterations in other languages[link]

• Swahili: Wale wanawake wawili waliula wali wa liwali wao (those two brides ate the rice of their confidants).

See also[link]

• Assonance
• Consonance
• Parachesis
• Tautogram
• Tongue twister

References[link]

7

External links[link]

• A collection of Dutch alliterations and related material (with sound files)
• Examples of alliteration in poetry