Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, and Hyperbole

In this lesson, you will learn three more powerful literary devices that appear frequently in SET Stage 1 comprehension passages and that you can use to strengthen your Stage 2 extended writing. Understanding how and why writers use alliteration, onomatopoeia, and hyperbole will help you analyse texts with confidence and write with flair.

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Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together.

Examples

• "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
• "The silent snow settled softly."
• "Dark, damp, dangerous."

Why Writers Use Alliteration

Purpose	Example	Effect
To create rhythm	"The wind whispered and wailed."	Makes the writing musical and flowing
To emphasise a point	"Cold, cruel, calculating."	The repetition hammers home the description
To set a mood	"Slowly, silently, the shadow slid forward."	Creates a sense of tension and stealth
To make writing memorable	"Five fat fish"	The sound pattern sticks in the reader's mind

How to Talk About Alliteration in the SET

When you spot alliteration in the Stage 1 comprehension, name the repeated sound and explain the effect:

Example: "The writer uses alliteration of the 's' sound in 'silently slipping through shadows' to create a sense of stealth and secrecy, reflecting the character's need to remain hidden."

Sibilance — A Special Type of Alliteration

Sibilance is the repetition of "s", "sh", "z", or soft "c" sounds. It often creates a whispering, sinister, or soothing effect:

• "The snake slithered silently through the grass."

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Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is when a word imitates or sounds like the thing it describes.

Examples

Category	Onomatopoeic Words
Water	splash, drip, gurgle, trickle, gush
Impact	crash, bang, thud, smash, crack
Animals	buzz, hiss, chirp, growl, purr
Voice	whisper, murmur, shriek, gasp, groan
Movement	rustle, crunch, creak, swoosh, clatter

Why Writers Use Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia brings writing to life by appealing to the reader's sense of hearing. Instead of telling the reader what happened, it lets them hear it:

• Without onomatopoeia: "The branch broke under his foot."
• With onomatopoeia: "The branch snapped under his foot."

The word "snapped" sounds like the noise a branch makes, making the sentence more vivid and immediate.

How to Talk About Onomatopoeia in the SET

Example: "The writer uses the onomatopoeic word 'crash' to recreate the sound of the falling tree, making the reader feel as if they are present in the scene."

Worked Example

Passage: "The rain drummed on the tin roof, each drop a tiny tap-tap-tap that built into a roaring crescendo."

• "drummed" — onomatopoeia imitating the heavy, rhythmic sound of rain
• "tap-tap-tap" — onomatopoeia imitating the light, repeated sound of individual drops
• "roaring" — onomatopoeia suggesting a powerful, overwhelming sound