Assonance

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæsənəns/

Definitions

1. The occurrence of similar vowel sounds in nearby words generates a pleasing auditory quality in literary works
2. A technique involving the repetition of vowel sounds among closely situated words enriches the rhythm and texture of language
3. The deliberate repetition of vowel sounds in adjacent words creates a harmonious effect that enhances both poetry and prose

Etymology: The sound at the heart of "assonance" is a matter of ear, not spelling: the word describes vowels that echo one another while their consonants differ, as in "lake" and "make" or "hold" and "road." The English word came from French "assonance," which in turn traces back to the Latin verb "assonare," meaning to answer with a sound, built from "ad" (to) and "sonare" (to sound). The idea behind it is literally an answering sound. The word's parts are clear in the Latin: "ad-" plus "sonare," the root that also gives English "sonic" and "resonate." The "-ance" ending is the common French and English noun suffix that turns a verb-like action into a thing or quality, so the word names the state of one sound responding to another.

Synonyms: vowel rhyme, similarity, repetition, echo, resonance