Assonate

/ˈæsəneɪt/ verb

Definition

To use assonance; to create similar vowel sounds in words close to each other.

Etymology

Back-formation from 'assonance' or directly from Latin 'assonare' (to sound together). The verb form allows poets to describe the action of creating these sound patterns.

Kelly Says

When poets 'assonate' words like 'the pale whale's tale,' they're doing something primal—your ear perceives vowel patterns across 40,000 years of human language that make your brain light up, long before you consciously notice the pattern.

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