“Buzz, hiss, splash — that's alliteration.”
Usage Entry 1407 / 1605 60-second read
Onomatopoeia vs. Alliteration
A word that imitates a sound versus repeated initial consonants.
The comparisoni
“Buzz, hiss, splash — that's onomatopoeia. ALLITERATION is repeated initial consonants ("Peter Piper picked"). Onomatopoeia imitates sounds.”
The ruleii
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ONOMATOPOEIA = sounds. ALLITERATION = letters.
ONOMATOPOEIA: words imitate the sound they describe (buzz, splash, cuckoo). ALLITERATION: repeated initial consonant across words ("She sells seashells"). Both are auditory devices in poetry.
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Onoma = a word that sounds. Allit = many words starting same.