Sound & rhythm

Consonance

The repetition of similar consonant sounds within or at the ends of nearby words.

Consonance echoes consonants—often in the middle or end of words—rather than at the start, as in “pitter-patter” or “struts and frets.” Writers use it to knit lines together and to create a texture of sound that reinforces meaning. It can feel harsh, soothing, or clipped depending on the consonants chosen.

Example

Owen’s clustered hard consonants make the soldiers’ exhausted march sound as grinding and broken as the scene it describes.

Dulce et Decorum Est · Wilfred Owen

Related terms

← All literary terms