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What is the term for when a word begins with the same sound as the previous word's ending sound? For example, there are three instances of this in one line of the lyrics to For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) in the Frozen movie soundtrack, where Elsa sings:

Just stay away and you'll be safe from me.

  1. Just stay
  2. safe from
  3. from me

I don't think elision is the correct term, since all references I've found to elision show that letters are omitted when written, e.g., "going to" -> "gonna."

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    It usually implies specifically the repetition of initial consonants, but I'd still just call this a type of alliteration Commented Apr 23, 2015 at 12:50
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    I actually wonder if there is a specific name when people merge the pronunciation of the identical syllables. I'm guessing that not many English speakers today will normally close "just" with a stop before continuing on to "stay".
    – user21820
    Commented Apr 25, 2015 at 6:13

3 Answers 3

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The term is called haplology. Where one sound is omitted and the words are pronounced together. Newspaper route becomes newspaperout, for example. Often times haplology refers to repeated sounds within a single word, but in English (and possibly some other languages) it happens with multiple words.

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  • Can you provide a reference for this? E.g., a dictionary that defines it, or a credible source that uses it? Commented Mar 12, 2018 at 4:14
  • I like this answer, but I believe it should be spelled with two 'L's: haplology. Hope you don't mind that I edited it for spelling.
    – Bread
    Commented Mar 12, 2018 at 4:35
  • -1 This may be the answer to user21820’s comment but it doesn’t answer OP’s question.
    – Jim
    Commented Mar 12, 2018 at 5:00
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Assonance is the closest word I know of. Generally, it describes words that have repeated vowel sounds but don't rhyme. For example, "fold" and "own". It could be used generically to mean what you're asking, but it wouldn't specifically mean that. And it is more correct to use assonance to describe words where the repeated sounds are in the same place, but it is a better bet than alliteration or rhyme. Consonance means the same thing for consonant sounds.

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  • Can you provide an objective source substantiating your answer?
    – Helmar
    Commented Aug 27, 2016 at 23:19
  • Take your pick :) : google.com/#q=assonance Commented Aug 27, 2016 at 23:31
  • Take your pick and incorporate it into your answer ;)
    – Helmar
    Commented Aug 28, 2016 at 8:07
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Could refer to consonant rhyme or consonance as per the usage.

The repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words

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  • That would mean rhyming between the ends of two words, not one's end and the other's beginning. If I'm reading the definition correctly.
    – Flater
    Commented Apr 27, 2015 at 12:35

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