Onomatopoeia, Alliteration and Assonance
This Worksheet looks at figures of speech that use sound.
Onomatopoeia
Some words have nothing in common with what they refer to, or describe. For example, the word "cat" does not sound like the purring, meowing creature that curls up in front of a fire, or lies on your newspaper at all.
Other words, however, do have something in common with the thing they describe. One can see how a "club" got the name it did. The explosive 'b' sound sounds like a stick hitting someone's skull. The same goes for 'bomb' or 'blast'.
Exercise One
Choose which of the following words best fills in the blanks in the sentences below.
baboom, woosh, thwack, scrunch, swoosh,
- The __________ of the water against her leg set off her panic.
- With a mighty __________, the scaffolding fell.
- With an almighty __________, Cronje scored the winning runs.
- After we heard the __________ of metal on metal, we knew there had been an accident.
- We were greeted by a great __________ of air.
In this exercise you will be asked to coin, or make-up new words which describe the things they refer to by imitating its sound. The first has been done for you.
Exercise Two
- A dripping tap might be called a plinker.
- A boring teacher might be called a ____________________.
- A tin can rolling in the street might be called a ____________________.
- A car tyre breaking quickly might be called a ____________________.
- A telephone ringing might be called a ____________________.
- A can top being opened might be called a ____________________.
- A door slamming shut might be called a ____________________.
- A kettle boiling might be called a ____________________.
- A car accelerating might be called a ____________________.
- A jogger running might be called a ____________________.
Discuss your words in groups, and decide which are appropriate, and which don't quite capture the sound.
Words which imitate the sound of what they refer to are called Onomatopoeia.
Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of sounds in words which are close to each other. Normally alliteration refers to the repetition of consonants. Usually these consonants are the initial letters of a word, but they can also be stressed syllables within a word.
Look at the following examples: (The alliterative sounds have been underlined)
- Where slimy snakes slither and hiss
- the rifle's rapid rattle
- and each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds
Exercise Three
Make up some alliterations of your own by completing the following sentences.
- The blind bat _________________________
- The food was cold and _________________________
- Sally walked _________________________
- _________________________ and with haughty head.
- _________________________ so meek and mild.
- _________________________ friendship.
- Days of _________________________
- While waiting _________________________
- Bomb blasts _________________________
- _________________________, but slowly.
Discuss your alliterations with your partner. Which sounds supported the meaning in some way? Which did not?
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of stressed vowel sounds. Look at these examples: (The assonances have been underlined)
- The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain.
- The rifle's rapid rattle.
- Through the dew we went anew.
Notice that assonance works on the sound of the word, not the spelling. Look at the third example again.
Exercise Four
Identify (name) the figures of speech in the following sentences or lines of verse. If there is more than one, indicate both. If the sentence is literal, indicate this.
- crowing and cawing over some minor victory
- watching and waiting, patiently somnambulent
- the crump of shells too near to sleep
- the buzzing of the bees in the trees
- shame, you hard hearted men of Rome
- though the crew was few, they knew what to do
- the tintinabulation of the bells, bells, bells
- do you bite your thumb at me, sir?
- Mabel, stumping around with her bump, so proud
- quenching its speed in the slushy sand
