alliterate
UK: əˈlɪtəreɪt | US: əˈlɪtəreɪt
vi. to use the same consonant or vowel sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words
vt. to arrange or compose words so they alliterate
alliterate = al<toward> + liter<letter> + ate<verb suffix>
- al (from Latin ad-, meaning "toward")
- liter (from Latin littera, meaning "letter")
- ate (a verb-forming suffix indicating action)
Etymology Origin:
The word alliterate originates from Latin ad- (toward) + littera (letter), evolving through Medieval Latin alliteratus. It entered English in the 17th century to describe the poetic technique of repeating initial consonant sounds (e.g., "Peter Piper picked a peck"). The morpheme liter preserves its core meaning of "letter," while al- emphasizes the directional or repetitive aspect.
The poet chose to alliterate the phrase "wild winds whip" for dramatic effect.
Tongue twisters often alliterate to challenge pronunciation.
She skillfully alliterated every line of her advertising slogan.
Old English verse frequently uses alliterated half-lines.
The speechwriter avoided overusing alliteration to maintain clarity.