Figures of Sound Vocabulary

repetition of initial consonant sounds

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”

repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words

“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”

repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the end of words

“Pitter-patter, pitter-patter—the consonance mimics rain.”

words that imitate the sounds they describe

“The bees buzzed, the bacon sizzled, the clock ticked.”

pleasing, harmonious arrangement of sounds

“The murmuring of innumerable bees—Tennyson's euphony.”

harsh, discordant combination of sounds

“The clash, crash, and clang of construction cacophony.”

repetition of hissing sounds (s, sh, z)

“The silken, sad, uncertain rustling—Poe's sibilance.”