assonance
noun

- Relatively close juxtaposition of similar vowel sounds, especially in poetry (“rise high in the bright sky”)

- The effect created when syllables close together have the same vowel sound but different consonants

- Similarity in sound between syllables, created by same vowels but different consonants

Merriam-Webster, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, Cambridge DIctionary

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WORD ORIGIN

The word "assonance" entered English around 1720-1730 via French assonance, which came from the Latin verb assonāre, meaning "to answer with the same sound" or "to sound."

Assonāre is composed of ad- ("to, towards") + sonāre ("to sound, resound”), and the Latin sonāre derives from sonus meaning "sound”.

"Assonance" means "resemblance of sounds between words other than rhyme”, so it literally means "to sound toward" or "to respond with sound," which perfectly captures the concept of vowel sounds echoing or responding to each other within nearby words.

Today's definition of assonance has been in use since the 1800s.

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LINES THAT LINGER

The repeated vowel sounds in “fine wine” or "blue moon" can linger long after we first read or hear them. Most people think poetry needs perfect rhymes, but assonance is more subtle,… it’s when similar vowel sounds inside words echo each other, softly linking them together.

We hardly notice it consciously, but assonance shapes how we feel about word combinations. When rappers drop lines with matching vowel sounds, or when advertising slogans stick in our head, assonance is often working in the background. "I like Ike" resonates because of those repeated long "i" sounds.

Our brains love patterns, especially sound patterns. Think of "keep your eyes on the prize"—the repeated vowels tie this phrase together. Writers use assonance to give mood and pace. Using long "o" sounds can feel mournful or grand; short "i" sounds feel sharp or tense.

Assonance works rather like background sound or music in movies—we feel it before we notice it. In writing, assonance provides a musical quality without the obvious structure of perfect rhymes.

Phrases that use assonance are easy to recall and are pleasing to the ear,... so the next time some lines linger in your mind, it might be because vowel sounds are still echoing.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

ASSONANCE, internal echo, internal rhyme, partial rhyme, slant rhyme, sound repetition, vocalic echo, vowel rhyme

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SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“The classic 'My Fair Lady' line ‘The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain’ is a lovely example of ASSONANCE.”

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D