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Alliteration Examples and Worksheets

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Alliteration is a poetic technique or literary stylistic device where a series of words in a sentence have the same first consonant sound. In other words: alliteration is when the beginning sound of words is repeated in close succession. For example:

Peter Piped Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers

Alliteration is focused on the sound of a word and not the letters in the word. So for example, “k” and “c” could both be used alliteratively (cherry cookies in the kitchen). Words do not need to be directly next to each other in the sentence to be alliteration. This is often the case but filler words like “the” and “in” are regularly used.

There is no specific rule about how many words spacing there should be between the repeating sounds in an alliterative piece of text, but a good rule of thumb is when the text is read out loud. If you can’t detect that there is a repetition of sounds then it might be considered alliterative.

Apart from tongue twisters like “She sells sea-shells down the sea-shore”, alliteration examples can be found in poems, song lyrics, and even popular business or brand names.

Identifying Alliteration – Examples

Test your skills in identifying alliteration by reading through the examples believe and try to hear the repeating consonant sounds:

  1. All Adam ate in August was apples and almonds.
  2. Barry bought a book to bring to the backyard barbecue.
  3. Come and clean your closet, Kevin.
  4. David’s dog drunk dirty water down by the dam.
  5. Even elephants enjoy eating eggs every day.
  6. My friend foolishly forgot to take the first photo in France.
  7. The gentle giant jumped with joy.
  8. Hopefully, Harry’s home will have heat soon.
  9. Ian was interested in eating ice cream.
  10. Jane juggled jack o’ lanterns in the gym.
  11. The candy killed Katie’s cavity.
  12. Looks like lions love licking lizards.
  13. Mike’s mother makes a mouthwatering mince pie.
  14. Noreen knew she was natural at kneading noodle dough.
  15. On paper, owls outperform ostriches.
  16. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
  17. The Queen quietly and quickly made a quip about quilts.
  18. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer rose rapidly to the roof.
  19. She sells sea-shells on the seashore.
  20. Timmy the tattle-tale tried to tell tall tales to the teacher.
  21. My uneducated uncle never understood how to use umbrellas.
  22. The ventriloquist varied his voice very well.
  23. We walked while wondering where Wally was.
  24. The xenophobes were zooming and in the zone.
  25. Yvonne yelled that yoga was your yin to her yang.
  26. Zack the zoo-keeper read his zodiac zealously.

Brand Name Alliteration Examples

Alliteration can be very easy to remember, which is why a lot of companies and brands name themselves with alliteration. Even this website, KidsKonnect, is an example of alliteration. Below is a list of some very well known brands and companies that use alliteration to make them memorable:

  • Dunkin’ Donuts
  • Best Buy
  • American Airlines
  • American Apparel
  • Coca-Cola
  • PayPal
  • Bed, Bath & Beyond
  • Krispy Kreme
  • Chuckee Cheese’s

Famous People with Alliterative Names

The alliteration effect can also be used with a name to make it easy to remember and stick out in the crowd. You might recognize some of the famous names below because of the alliteration used in their name:

  • Ronald Reagan
  • Jesse Jackson
  • Michael Moore
  • Mickey Mouse
  • William Wordsworth
  • Porky Pig
  • Lois Lane
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Fred Flinstone
  • Donald Duck
  • Spongebob Squarepants

Alliteration in Phrases and Quotes

Alliteration is also used in many famous quotes, idioms, phrases, and sayings:

  • Busy as a bee
  • Give up the ghost
  • Dead as a doornail
  • Home sweet home
  • Living life
  • Make a mountain out of a molehill
  • Method to the madness
  • Neck and neck
  • Not on your nelly
  • Pleased as punch
  • Out of order
  • Right as rain
  • Roun Robin

Alliteration Examples in Literature

From Three Grey Geese by Mother Goose

Three grey geese in a field grazing
Grey were the geese and green was the grazing

From Betty Botter by Carolyn Wells

Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said this butter’s bitter;
if I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter,
but a bit of better butter will make my batter better

From Baker’s Reply to the Needle Salesman by unknown

I need not your needs, They’re needless to me,
For kneading of needles, We’re needless, you see;
But did my neat trousers, But need to be kneed,
I then should have need of your needles indeed

Alliteration is very important in poetry and prose and can be used to make poems and text more interesting, attractive, and memorable. Why not try to practice by writing and speaking out loud your own alliteration examples?

Alliteration Worksheets

This bundle contains 5 ready-to-use alliteration worksheets that are perfect to test student knowledge and understanding of what alliteration is and how it can be used. You can use these alliteration worksheets in the classroom with students, or with homeschooled children as well.

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Link will appear as Alliteration Examples and Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 19, 2016

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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