Tautophony is a phonetic device in which adjacent or closely positioned words begin with the same letter or sound, creating a dense, percussive consonance that differs from alliteration by its tighter clustering and often harsher, more insistent rhythm; common in Old English and Slavic poetry, tautophony can produce a hypnotic or ritualistic effect—as in “spit-spattered stones” or “black-backed beetles”—where the repeated onset sounds bind words into a sonic unit that emphasizes texture, mood, or thematic insistence through auditory insistence rather than melodic variation.

Repetition of same sound in multiple words. Related to alliteration but broader—includes any sound repetition. Creates acoustic patterns. Study for musicality in verse.