What is Consonance?

S2-SA4-0318

Grade Level:

Class 2

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

Consonance is when words close to each other have the same consonant sound repeated, but with different vowel sounds. It's like a tongue twister for the ear, making sentences sound rhythmic and interesting.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you are talking about 'the biG doG diGGing a biG hole'. Notice how the 'g' sound repeats in 'biG', 'doG', 'diGGing', and 'biG'. This repetition of the 'g' consonant sound is consonance.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's find consonance in the sentence: 'The wiNd bloWs through the trees with a whiStling SouNd.'
---Step 1: Read the sentence aloud and listen for repeated consonant sounds.
---Step 2: Identify words that share a similar consonant sound. Here, 'wiNd', 'bloWs', 'whiStling', 'SouNd' have the 's' or 'w' sound.
---Step 3: Look at the 's' sound. It appears in 'whiStling' and 'SouNd'. The vowel sounds are different ('i' in whistling, 'ou' in sound).
---Step 4: Look at the 'w' sound. It appears in 'wiNd' and 'bloWs'. The vowel sounds are different ('i' in wind, 'o' in blows).
---Step 5: Therefore, both 'whiStling SouNd' and 'wiNd bloWs' show consonance due to the repeated consonant sounds with different vowel sounds.
---Answer: Consonance is present with the 's' sound in 'whiStling SouNd' and the 'w' sound in 'wiNd bloWs'.

Why It Matters

Consonance helps writers, poets, and lyricists create rhythm, mood, and emphasis in their work. Knowing consonance can help you understand and appreciate literature better, and it's a skill used by journalists, advertisers, and communication experts to make their messages more memorable and impactful.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Confusing consonance with rhyme (which is the repetition of similar ending sounds, including vowels) | CORRECTION: Remember, consonance is about consonant sounds only, not the whole ending sound. Rhyme is 'cat' and 'hat'; consonance is 'baT' and 'puT'.

MISTAKE: Confusing consonance with alliteration (which is the repetition of initial consonant sounds) | CORRECTION: Alliteration is always at the beginning of words (e.g., 'Big Bad Bear'). Consonance can be anywhere in the words (e.g., 'sliP sloP').

MISTAKE: Focusing only on the spelling of the letter rather than the sound it makes | CORRECTION: Consonance is about the sound. For example, 'ceNter' and 'fuN' both have the 'n' sound, even if spelled differently.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Find the consonance in the phrase: 'The daRk tRuck caRried the fiRst load.' | ANSWER: The repeated 'r' sound in 'daRk', 'tRuck', 'caRried', 'fiRst'.

QUESTION: Which pair of words shows consonance: A) 'Sing Song' B) 'Pitter Patter' C) 'Wish Wash' D) 'Mice Rice' | ANSWER: C) 'Wish Wash' (repeated 'sh' sound). 'Pitter Patter' is alliteration and rhyme.

QUESTION: Identify the words that demonstrate consonance in the sentence: 'She stood in the miSt, her faCe graCefully liFtIng to the sky.' Explain your choice. | ANSWER: 'miSt' and 'faCe' (repeated 's' sound, even if spelled differently). Also 'graCefully' and 'liFtIng' (repeated 'f' sound).

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of the following phrases primarily uses consonance?

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.

He struCk a streaK of luCk.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

The Correct Answer Is:

Option C, 'He struCk a streaK of luCk,' shows consonance with the repeated 'k' sound. Option A is alliteration. Option B has internal rhyme. Option D has rhyme.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

You hear consonance in catchy jingles for ads on TV, like 'Limca - LiGht and LoW'. Songwriters use it in Bollywood songs to make lyrics flow better and sound more musical. Even stand-up comedians use it to make their jokes punchier and more memorable, helping them connect with the audience.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

CONSONANT: A speech sound where the breath is partly blocked. | VOWEL: A speech sound where the breath flows freely. | RHYTHM: A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. | ALLITERATION: Repetition of initial consonant sounds. | RHYME: Repetition of similar sounds, usually at the end of words.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Great job learning about consonance! Next, you should explore 'Alliteration' and 'Assonance'. These concepts are also about sound devices in language and will help you understand how writers create different effects in their work.