assonance

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

assonant

2 of 3

adjective

as·so·nant ˈa-sə-nənt

: of, relating to, or marked by assonance

an assonant pun

assonant

3 of 3

noun (2)

as·so·nant ˈa-sə-nənt

plural -s

: a word or syllable that is assonant with another word or syllable

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.

Noun

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 The fairy even hovers over Harbart’s suicide, and a similar lighter touch informs the prose, enlivened by assonance and alliteration. — John Domini, chicagotribune.com, 7 Aug. 2019 There is a bopping, rhythmic assonance to Ginsberg’s unspooling lines, more incantation than poetry. — Literary Hub, 3 June 2026 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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Adjective

French or Latin; French assonant, from Latin assonant-, assonans, adsonant-, adsonans, present participle of assonare, adsonare to answer with the same sound, from ad- + sonare to sound

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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 7 Jul. 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 (1)

adjective

noun (2)

Examples of assonance in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

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