Alliteration Examples: A Fun Literary Device

Alliteration is a powerful literary device that adds rhythm, musicality, and emphasis to language. By repeating initial consonant sounds in closely connected words, writers and speakers can create memorable phrases that captivate audiences. For educators, tutors, and homeschooling parents, incorporating alliteration into lessons can enhance students’ vocabulary and phonemic awareness. This article explores various alliteration examples, their applications, and provides practical activities for teaching this concept to students.

What is Alliteration?

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a sequence of words. This stylistic technique is often used to create a particular mood, emphasize a point, or make passages more memorable. For example:

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

In this classic tongue twister, the repeated ‘p’ sound exemplifies alliteration.

What is alliteration?

Help your students learn what alliteration is with this easy-to-understand worksheet!

Alliteration Examples

Alliteration appears in various forms across literature, poetry, tongue twisters, and everyday speech. Below are categorized examples to illustrate its diverse applications.

Alliteration Examples in Literature

Alliteration can be found in many renowned works of literature. Authors often use alliteration to add rhythm and mood to their narratives. Notable examples include:

Alliteration examples in literature

Download this alliteration in literature worksheet to help students identify and analyze this literary device in famous works.

• “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”​ (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald)
• “I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bundles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads.”​ (Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck)
• “People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows.”​ (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
• “Elizabeth’s spirits were so high on this occasion that though she did not often speak unnecessarily to Mr. Collins, she could not help asking him whether he intended to accept Mr. Bingley’s invitation to the ball.”​ (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
• “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free.” (Moby-Dick by Herman Melville)
• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”​ (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)
• “And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.”​ (The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe)
• “Heorot trembled, wonderfully built to withstand the blows, the struggling great bodies beating at its beautiful walls.”​ (Beowulf)
• “Fair is foul, and foul is fair: Hover through the fog and filthy air.”​ (Macbeth by William Shakespeare)
• “Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up.” (Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie)

These examples demonstrate how alliteration enhances the lyrical quality of prose, making it more engaging and memorable.

Alliteration Examples in Poetry

Poets use alliteration to create rhythm and musicality in their verses. Examples include:

Alliteration examples in poetry

Download this alliteration in poetry worksheet and help students discover the power of repetition in classic poems.

Example 1: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

“The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.”

Example 2: Birches by Robert Frost:

“When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy’s been swinging them.”

Example 3: Sonnet 5 by William Shakespeare:

“Those hours, that with gentle work did frame
The lovely gaze where every eye doth dwell,
Will play the tyrants to the very same
And that unfair which fairly doth excel;”

Example 4: The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe:

“Hear the mellow wedding bells,
Golden bells!
What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!”

Example 5: Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats:

“Perhaps the self-same song that found a path
Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,
She stood in tears amid the alien corn;
The same that oft-times hath”

Example 6: Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

“Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,”

Example 7: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

“When gripping grief the heart doth wound,
And doleful dumps the mind oppress,”

Example 8: The Soul selects her own Society by Emily Dickinson:

“The Soul selects her own Society —
Then — shuts the Door —
To her divine Majority —
Present no more —”

Example 9: Pied Beauty by Gerard Manley Hopkins:

“Glory be to God for dappled things —
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow.”
These instances showcase how alliteration contributes to the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of poetry.

Alliteration in Tongue Twisters

Tongue twisters are a fun and effective way to practice alliteration, especially for kids. These phrases challenge pronunciation and improve phonemic awareness:

Alliteration in tongue twisters

Download this alliteration tongue twisters worksheet to boost phonics and fluency in a playful way.

• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
• She sells seashells by the seashore.
• How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
• Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter’s bitter.
• A big black bear sat on a big black rug.
• Fred fed Ted bread and Ted fed Fred bread.
• Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
• I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.
• Six slippery snails slid slowly seaward.
• Red lorry, yellow lorry, red lorry, yellow lorry.

Incorporating these tongue twisters into classroom activities can make learning phonetics enjoyable and engaging.

Alliteration in Everyday Expressions

Alliteration often permeates our everyday speech without us even realizing it. Here are common real-life examples:

Alliteration in everyday expressions

Download this alliteration in everyday expressions worksheet to teach students real-world uses of figurative language.

• Busy as a bee.
• Make a mountain out of a molehill.
• Good as gold.
• Right as rain
• Dead as a doornail
• Method to the madness
• Big bad wolf
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Coca-Cola
• Dunkin’ Donuts
• Best Buy
• PayPal
• Mickey Mouse
• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Kit Kat
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Park Place
• Big Brother

These phrases are commonly used in our communications, marketing, and media, adding a playful tone to our language.

Fun Ways to Teach Alliteration for Kids

Engaging students with alliteration can be both educational and entertaining. Here are some activities designed to help children grasp and enjoy this literary device:

Fun ways to teach alliteration

Alliteration Name Game

Have students create alliterative phrases using their names, such as “Silly Sam” or “Jumping Julia.” This personalizes the learning experience and makes it more memorable.

Encourage them to share with the class for a fun icebreaker or writing activity.

Tongue Twister Challenge

Hold a classroom competition to see who can say tongue twisters the fastest (and clearest). Award points for creativity and delivery! This activity enhances phonemic awareness and pronunciation skills.

Alliterative Storytelling

Assign students to write short stories or poems incorporating alliteration. For example, “The sneaky snake slithered silently through the grass.” This fosters creativity and reinforces the concept.

Alliteration Scavenger Hunt

Organize a classroom scavenger hunt where students find objects that start with the same consonant sound and create alliterative phrases with them.

Alliteration Collage

Let students draw or cut out magazine pictures to match an alliterative sentence they create. For example, “Playful penguins paddle in puddles” could include penguin cutouts, water, and snow scenes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an example of alliteration in Harry Potter?

One fun example is the character name “Salazar Slytherin”, which repeats the ‘S’ sound. J.K. Rowling often uses alliteration in character names like “Severus Snape” and “Godric Gryffindor” to create rhythm and personality.

2. Which sentence is the best example of alliteration?

A classic example is: “She sells seashells by the seashore.” This sentence repeats the ‘s’ sound, demonstrating effective alliteration.

3. What is alliteration in simple terms for kids?

Alliteration is when words that are close together start with the same sound. For example: “Funny frogs fly fast.” It makes sentences fun and easier to remember.

4. What is an example of alliteration in a poem?

In the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, there’s a line that goes:

• “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain.”

This repeats the ‘s’ sound and creates a soft, eerie mood.

Wrapping Up

Alliteration is a playful and powerful language tool that kids naturally enjoy. It helps build vocabulary, improve reading fluency, and spark creativity in writing—all through fun and engaging practice. With so many alliteration examples found in literature, poems, and tongue twisters, it’s easy to bring this literary device into your classroom in meaningful ways.

Looking for more ways to make learning fun? Visit Worksheetzone for a wide collection of worksheets and hands-on activities featuring alliteration examples your students will love. Turn language learning into an exciting adventure today!