Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.

  • “Slithering snake” is an alliteration because both words start with the “s” sound.

  • “Notable knight” is an alliteration because both words start with the “n” sound (even though they are written with different letters).

Alliteration sometimes is used to refer specifically to the repetition of consonant sounds, but we’ve included both consonant and vowel repetition in our list.

Table of Contents
A
awesome alliterations
B
back-biting
back breaker
put it on the back burner
back to basics
bad blood
bare bones
bated breath
beach bum
bear the brunt of
beat around the bush
a bee in your bonnet
belle of the ball
best and brightest
best buddies
bet your bottom dollar
big bang theory
big brother
big bucks
bigger and better
birthday boy
bite the bullet
blind as a bat
blood brother
boom to bust
bottom of the barrel
bounce back
bread and butter
bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
building blocks
busy as a bee
by the book
C
cash cow
cash crop
chit-chat
chump change
chunk of change
class clown
clear cut
close call
the coast is clear
code of conduct
common cold
common courtesy
cool as a cucumber
cookie cutter
course correction
country club
cream of the crop
crew cut
crystal clear
cut corners
D
dare-devil
dastardly deed
daydream
dead as a doornail
dead duck
do or die
double dare
down in the dumps
drip dry
dull as dishwater
dry as dust
F
fact finding
fancy footwork
fan the flames
fast and furious
father figure
fear factor
feast or famine
feeding frenzy
few and far between
fickle finger of fate
fight or flight
fleet of foot
flight of fancy
fond farewell
forgive and forget
French fries
frequent flier
from the frying pan to the fire
G
gas guzzler
gentle giant
get your goat
gift of gab
give up the ghost
All that glitters is not gold.
go for the gold
go-getter
as good as gold
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
the grass is greener
H
hale and hearty
half-hearted
happy Halloween
happy holidays
hard headed
have a heart
fall head over heels
heave ho
heaven and hell
heavy hitter
hem and haw
high hopes
hit the hay
home sweet home
house and home
I
add insult to injury
J
Jack and Jill
jibber-jabber
jumbo jet
jump for joy
jumping jacks
K
King Kong
knock-kneed
L
a labor of love
the lap of luxury
larger than life
last laugh
laundry list
law of the land
leaping lizards
new lease on life
left in the lurch
lily-livered
like it or lump it
live and learn
live the life
long-lost love
look before you leap
love letter
no love lost
M
mad as a March hare
make a mountain out of a molehill
melt in your mouth
man in the moon
mere mortals
method to the madness
Mickey Mouse
mind over matter
the more the merrier
motor mouth
move mountains
N
naughty or nice
neck and neck
now or never
P
part and parcel
party pooper
pay the piper
pay to play
peas in a pod
peer pressure
pen pal
penny wise and pound foolish
persistence pays
Peter Pan
pet peeve
picture perfect
a pig in a poke
pinch pennies
ping pong
pitter patter
pleased as punch
pots and pans
practice makes perfect
pretty penny
prim and proper
primrose path
publish or perish
pull any punches
Q
quality over quantity
R
rabble rouser
rags to riches
rant and rave
rave reviews
ride roughshod
right as rain
road rage
rock 'n roll
rough rider
round robin
where the rubber meets the road
Russian roulette
S
sad sack
safe and sound
better safe than sorry
secret sauce
shell-shocked
shape up or ship out
ship shape
Simon says...
silver screen
sing for your supper
sing-song
sink or swim
slippery slope
slowly but surely
smooth sailing
snow screen
sorry sight
spending spree
spoil sport
spoonful of sugar
star struck
stars and stripes
sticks and stones
stuck on stupid
sugar and spice
sunny side of the street
sunny side up
surgical strike
swan song
sweat shop
sweet sixteen
sweet smell of success
sweet spot
T
it takes two to tango
taste test
tea time
temper tantrum
tempest in a teapot
the test of time
thick as thieves
think tank
through thick and thin
tip toe
tip top
time and tide
tongue tied
tongue twisters
tools of the trade
tough times
treasure trove
trials and tribulations
trick or treat
tried and true
turn the tables
V
vice versa
vim and vigor
vis-a-vis
W
walking wounded
waste not, want not
a way with words
wear out your welcome
weasel words
weeping willow
wend your way
wet your whistle
Where there's a will there's a way.
whistle while you work
whole-hearted
wild west
will o' the wisp
wishy-washy
wit and wisdom
wonders of the world
words of wisdom
word to the wise
work wonders
worry wart
Y
yin and yang
Z
zig-zag