As children listen to the following alliteration examples by Dr. Seuss, they will understand alliteration is the repetition of beginning sounds in two or more words. Alliteration is created by the repetition often consonants but vowels can be used – more common in Old English prose. English Language Arts classes, at all levels, learn the use of alliteration when studying poetry.

My students are currently studying literary devices, including alliteration. Last week, I shared my Halloween poem, The Headless Horseman Haunts on Halloween, with my freshman Language Arts class. They all agreed that using alliteration made the poem fun to listen to. They also felt that it added to the mood (emotion) of the poem’s story. The poem, one of many alliteration examples they were given, also led into the introduction of new vocabulary.

Alliteration Examples by Dr. Seuss

alliteration examplesFor the younger grades, I recommend Dr. Seuss’s ABC: Amazing Alphabet Book! It is filled with alliteration examples. Each line focuses on a letter in the alphabet used for that line’s alliteration. Also note that in many of the words the beginning sounds are repeated within the words themselves. (Dr. Seuss’s ABC and other poems can also be used as examples of consonance – repetition of consonant sounds within the words.)

We enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss’s ABC book (view video below) to our children when they were young, and now we enjoy reading it to our grandchildren. We have a lot of fun pointing out the alliteration examples as we turn them into tongue twisters.

Below you’ll find some of the lines from Dr. Seuss’s ABC book. Enjoy reading the following alliteration examples…

  • Aunt Annie’s alligator
  • Barber baby bubbles and a bumblebee
  • Camel on the ceiling C…c….c
  • David Donald Doo dreamed a dozen doughnuts and a duck-dog, too
  • Ear egg elephant
  • Four fluffy feathers on a Fiffer-feffer-feff
  • Goat girl googoo goggles
  • Hungry horse hay
  • Hen in a hat Hooray Hooray
  • Icabod is itchy
  • Jerry Jordan’s jelly jar and jam
  • Kitten Kangaroo Kick a kettle
  • Lazy lion licks a lollipop
  • Many mumbling mice are making midnight music in the moonlight
  • A yawning yellow yak
  • Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz

Enjoy a video of Dr. Seuss’ ABC book, plus some Dr. Seuss treats, games, and activities found on Nana’s Corner.

Dr. Seuss also used alliteration in his poem, Fox in Socks. 

from Dr Seuss poem Fox in Socks

Luke’s duck likes lakes.
Luke Luck licks lakes.
Luke’s duck licks lakes.
Duck takes licks in lakes
Luke Luck likes.
Luke Luck takes licks in lakes duck likes.

and from the same Dr. Seuss poem…

Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew.
While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew.
Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze.
Freezy trees made these trees’ cheese freeze.
That’s what made these three free fleas sneeze.