assonance

noun

as·so·nance ˈa-sə-nən(t)s

: relatively close juxtaposition of similar sounds especially of vowels (as in "rise high in the bright sky")

: repetition of vowels without repetition of consonants (as in stony and holy) used as an alternative to rhyme in verse

: resemblance of sound in words or syllables compare alliteration

assonant

ˈa-sə-nənt

adjective or noun

assonantal

ˌa-sə-ˈnan-tᵊl

adjective

Examples of assonance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Teeming with alliteration and assonance, and overflowing with cryptic references and metaphors—known to scholars as kennings—the two poems are like two peas from the same pod. — Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026 But across the rest of the record, whether retelling or daydreaming, Hawke maintains a writerly attention to assonance and rhyme. — Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026 The simile is novel and yet the sort of thing a young woman would think; there is assonance and consonance seesawing across the sentence, which is slow and gorgeous rather than quick and thrilling. — Joanna Biggs, Harper's Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024 At the same time, the poem’s strong slam rhythms, coming in rising and falling waves, with frequent internal rhymes, repetitions, and plays of assonance are strong, effective, unmistakable. — Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 31 Mar. 2021 See All Example Sentences for assonance

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin assonare to answer with the same sound, from ad- + sonare to sound, from sonus sound — more at sound entry 1

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of assonance was in 1727

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Assonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assonance. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

assonance

noun

as·so·nance ˈas-ə-nən(t)s

: the repetition of vowel sounds but not consonants in words (as "red hen") for poetic effect

assonant

-nənt

adjective

assonance

noun

Examples of assonance in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

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