What is alliteration?

• A. When a word sounds the same at the beginning
• B. A word that imitates the sound it represents
• C. The perspective from which a narrative is told
• D. The pronoun set used by a narrator

Answer: (A)

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in nearby words, which creates a rhythmic, musical effect. For example, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” repeats the initial /p/ sound, making the phrase catchy and memorable. That’s why the best answer is the one that describes the idea of words sounding the same at the beginning.

The other concepts describe something different: onomatopoeia is when a word imitates a sound (like buzz or hiss), point of view is about who tells the story, and the pronoun set used by a narrator refers to which pronouns the narrator uses. Alliteration focuses on the pattern of initial sounds, not on meaning or the act of naming sounds or narrating.