# Consonance: Definition and Fiction Example | NovelOS Studio

> Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within or at the ends of nearby words. See an original fiction example, why writers use it, common mistakes,...

## Consonance in a story

Unlike alliteration, the repeated sound need not begin each word. It can create hardness, softness, closure, or a quiet echo.

## Original fiction example

> The cracked lock clicked once, then held.

This example is original to the NovelOS glossary. It illustrates the term without borrowing a passage from a published novel.

## Why writers use it

Use consonance to reinforce rhythm and give a phrase a particular physical texture.

**A useful revision question:** Where does this device change what the reader understands, expects, or feels? If removing it leaves the passage unchanged, it may need a clearer function.

## A common mistake

A dense cluster of repeated consonants may become difficult to read aloud.

## Use consonance in NovelOS Studio

Refine clarity, rhythm, tone, repetition, and deliberate prose while preserving your voice. [The Alchemist](/features/the-alchemist/) sits inside the same NovelOS Studio project as your characters, world, timeline, manuscript, goals, tracker, revision tools, and publishing exports.

Record the idea where it affects the book, test it in scenes, and revise it beside the surrounding prose. NovelOS Studio keeps the craft decision attached to the novel instead of leaving it in a separate worksheet.

Category

Prose and Style

Related terms

* [Alliteration](/glossary/alliteration/)
* [Assonance](/glossary/assonance/)
* [Cacophony](/glossary/cacophony/)

[Browse the full glossary](/glossary/)