assonance
ASS-uh-nunss
/ˈæs.ə.nəns/
The repetition of internal vowel sounds in nearby non-rhyming words.
Focuses on vowel harmony inside words without repeating the surrounding consonants.
The story behind the word. From French 'assonance', from Latin 'adsonare' (to respond to in sound), built from 'ad-' (to) and 'sonare' (to sound).
Word relationships
- vowel rhyme: 'Vowel rhyme' is an informal description of assonance.
- consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds.
Commonly confused with
- alliteration: Alliteration repeats initial consonants; assonance repeats internal vowels.
Word family
- assonant (adjective): Having or exhibiting assonance.
Collocations
- vowel assonance
- subtle assonance
- create assonance
Example sentences
- "The slow, low moan of 'the light of the fire' creates assonance through the long 'i' sound." Literary device
Memory hook
ASS-O-NANCE has repeating 'A' and 'O' vowels right inside the word! Internal vowel harmony.
When not to use
Do not use for matching initial consonants or full end rhymes.
Fun facts
- Rap artists frequently use complex assonance to build internal rhyme structures.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.