Which device involves the repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words?

• A. Assonance.
• B. Alliteration.
• C. Rhyme.
• D. Onomatopoeia.

Answer: (A)

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words is assonance. It focuses on repeating the same vowel sounds, not consonants, to create a soft musical effect across adjacent words. For example, in the line “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain,” the same vowel sound appears in multiple nearby words, giving a flowing, echoing feel. This differs from alliteration, which repeats initial consonant sounds (like “Peter Piper…”), rhyme, which connects ends of words or lines, and onomatopoeia, which are words that imitate actual sounds.