Alliteration in speech attracts attention and makes concepts memorable, often used in slogans and political speeches. Overuse can sound childish, and it should be used with caution in formal speeches.
The function of alliteration in speech is to attract attention and be memorable. Advertisers and politicians often use alliteration for slogans, slogans and jingles. Excessive use of alliteration can make speech sound childish.
Alliteration is a figure of speech in which the same consonant or consonant cluster is used at the beginning of neighboring words. Examples include common sayings like “tried and true” and “it’s now or never.” The term is often confused with consonance, the repetition of consonants in the middle or end of a word, and assonance, which is the repetition of vowel sounds in neighboring words.
Capturing the audience’s attention is the prime purpose of alliteration in speech. No matter where the alliteration is placed, repeated sounds can wake the audience up, especially when delivered with subtle emphasis. Gordon Brown, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom, called his country’s relationship with the United States “a friendship forged and forged over two tumultuous centuries.” The repeated consonant “f” acts as a wake-up call for the audience.
Another purpose of alliteration in speech is to make a concept more memorable. Julius Caesar, emperor of ancient Rome, famously said in Latin “veni, vidi, vici”, which in English means “I came, I saw, I won”. The alliteration is lost in translation, but the phrase has been remembered for centuries.
In the United States, campaign slogans are often drawn from alliterative phrases within a candidate’s speech. “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” is still remembered today, even though it was a campaign slogan of William Henry Harrison for the presidency of the United States in 1840. In the 2000 presidential race, voters had to choose between “prosperity and progress ” by Al Gore and George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservatism”.
As these examples show, alliteration is especially common in political speech. US President Barack Obama used several alliterative phrases in his speech at the Fort Hood Memorial Service in 2009. First, he called the US military the “best fighting force the world has ever known” and went on to describe their work in “distant, different, and difficult places.”
While many people love alliteration in speech, overusing it can make it sound childish. Tongue twisters, like “Peter Piper had a peck of pickled peppers,” are great examples of alliteration, but they sound ridiculous when spoken aloud. While alliteration is a great tool, speakers should be careful not to sound like they’re saying tongue twisters, particularly in formal speeches.
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