Spare That Spider

I still remember Lesson 2 from New Concept English 4, titled “Spare that Spider.” As a kid, I hated the forced recitation—totally boring—but I couldn’t forget the catchy phonetics of the title. It’s short, punchy, and highlights a specific literary trick.

Alliteration

My teacher pointed out the “sp” sound repeated at the start of “Spare” and “Spider.” That’s called alliteration: using the same initial consonant sound to tie words together. You see this in famous tongue twisters like:

• Peter Piper picked a peck (repeating “p”)
• Sally sells seashells (repeating “s”)

Two Sister Devices

1. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds. For example:
   • Never mind, I’ll find someone like you (Adele) repeats the “i” sound in “mind,” “find,” and “like,” creating a wistful vibe.
   • Yeet the Beat (from Timothée Chalamet’s SNL skit) also uses a repeated vowel sound for extra punch.
2. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds—often in the middle or at the end of words. Examples include:
   • Short and sweet. Both words are five letters, both start with “s,” and both end with “t.”
   • Pitter-patter. A classic onomatopoeic phrase.

From English Phonetics to Chinese 四字词语

There’s a similar attraction in Chinese when you use four-character phrases (四字词语). Take “Long Time No See” and its Chinese counterpart “好久不见.” They’re both concise and catchy. In Chinese, four-character phrases often feel neat, subtly clever, and fun to decipher. That parallel with four-syllable English phrases can be a magical way to highlight ideas.

Short Imperatives That Pop

This phonetic charm becomes even clearer in short English commands:

• Cool it, hotshot. (Internally rhymes)
• Easy, cowboy. (Playfully dismissive; western-themed)
• Calm down, princess. (Sarcastically gentle)