Comparison workshop
AlliterationversusOnomatopoeiaWhat's the Difference?
Both can foreground sound, but one imitates a noise and the other repeats initial consonant sounds.
Read the pair
How They Differ
First idea
Alliteration
Alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds in nearby stressed words.
versus
Second idea
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia uses a word whose sound resembles the noise represented.
See the signal
Examples
Alliteration
Bright banners blew beside the bridge.
Onomatopoeia
The loose sign clanged.