Which option correctly defines alliteration?

• A. Repetition of vowel sounds within non-rhyming words.
• B. Repetition of consonant sounds at the end of words.
• C. Repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
• D. Any repeating sound in a line.

Answer: (C)

Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words. This sound pattern creates a musical rhythm and emphasis in poetry and prose. For example, in a line like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,” the repeated initial “p” sound ties the words together and stands out to the ear. The important part is that the repeated sounds occur at the starts of nearby words, not just anywhere in the line.

This is why the correct option fits best: it pins down the exact feature of alliteration—repeating initial consonant sounds in neighboring words. The other descriptions point to related devices but not alliteration: repeating vowel sounds within non-rhyming words describes assonance, repeating consonant sounds at the ends of words describes a form of consonance or end rhymes, and calling it “any repeating sound” is too broad and imprecise.