How to Use Alliteration to Write a Newfangled Tongue Twister



How to Use Alliteration to Write a Newfangled Tongue Twister

by Bruce Lansky

Some of the most popular tongue twisters of all time tell a story using alliteration and catchy rhythm, but they don't rhyme. Take the first stanza of "Betty Botter" as an example:

Betty Botter bought some butter. 

But, she said, "This butter's bitter. 

If I bought some better butter, 

It would make my batter better.

Assuming, for a moment, that you make batter with butter, the storyline is amusing. And the rhythm is charming (and the same in every line).

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da

But what if we added some rhyme?

Betty Botter bought a bucket. 

But she said, "This bucket's broken." 

If I use it as a bailer, 

I would be a rotten sailor.

Now, we've got the beginning of a nice little rhyming poem, but the last two lines don't twist the tongue with alliteration.

How can we solve this problem? Here is what I do.

1. Make four lists: nouns, proper nouns, verbs, and descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs) that begin with a particular letter (e.g., "B"). Make some words one syllable and some words two syllables. (You won’t have to use all the words…you just want some good ones to choose from.)

For example:

|Nouns |Names |Verbs |Describers |

|bubbles |Bobby |burst |broken |

|brother |Baxter |bawling |big |

|boy |Boris |boo hoo |bratty |

2. Using your words, write down the first line of a story that makes sense. For example:

Bobby Baxter burst a bubble.

3. Add a second line, using words from your list that advance the story, for example:

Bobby Baxter burst a bubble (A) 

Bobby's brother Boris blew. (B)

4. Now you can figure out the rhythm and rhyme pattern of the poem you've started and continue it in the next two lines. The rhyme pattern of this poem is going to be ABCB.

5. The rhythm pattern is going to be:

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da (A) 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM (B) 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da (C) 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM (B)

6. Now you can complete the poem:

Bobby Baxter burst a bubble (A)

Bobby's brother Boris blew. (B)

Bobby's brother began bawling (C)

Boris cried, boo hoo, boo hoo. (B)

So, the above method helps you tell a story that makes sense, uses lots of tongue-twisting alliteration, and has a pleasing rhythm and rhyme pattern.

Now you try it! Your letter is: ___________________

|Names |Nouns |Verbs |Describers |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

| | | | |

Now using your alliterative words to write a New-Fangled Tongue Twister with the following rhythm and rhyme pattern:

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da (A) 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM (B) 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da (C) 

DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM (B)

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Challenge a friend to say your tongue twister as fast as they can!

Extension…add a second verse to your Tongue Twister:

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Alliteration Rhythm Rhyme Story Grammar, Punctuation

Spelling, Capitalization

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Name________________________________________________________ Class _____________

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