Assonance
Literary term · say it ASS-uh-nuhns
Assonance is the repetition of the same vowel sound in nearby words, especially in stressed syllables. The words need not rhyme or share the same spelling, and the repeated sound can help connect ideas or draw attention to a passage.
Where assonance appears
Within a line
A vowel sound can repeat in several words within one line or sentence. Listen for the sound rather than looking for matching letters.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a passage describing the ship moving swiftly through the water repeats a long oo sound as the breeze blows and the foam flies.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Across nearby lines
A repeated vowel sound can link words in neighbouring lines. It may appear alongside rhyme, though assonance does not require matching consonant sounds.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the description of the ship's swift movement carries a long ee sound from the breeze to the ship's free passage and the silent sea.
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
How to spot assonance
- Read a short passage aloud.
- Listen for repeated vowel sounds in stressed syllables.
- Check nearby words for matching sounds, even when their spellings differ.
What is the difference between assonance and alliteration?
Assonance repeats vowel sounds, while alliteration repeats consonant sounds at the beginnings of nearby words or stressed syllables. Both depend on what words sound like, not simply how they are spelled, and both can appear in the same passage.
Does assonance have to rhyme?
No, assonance needs only a repeated vowel sound, while rhyme usually matches the sounds from the last stressed vowel onward. For example, light and time share a vowel sound without rhyming. Light and night share that vowel sound and also rhyme.
Related terms
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