The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms - Ross Murfin 2018

Sibilance

Sibilance: A type of alliteration involving repetition of the consonant s or other letters and letter combinations such as c (cent), ch (chalet), sh (shade), and z (zip) to produce a soft or hissing sound.

EXAMPLES: The tongue twister “Sally sells sea shells by the seashore.” The narrator of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891) sibilantly comments that “the serpent hisses where the sweet bird sings.” The Eagles’ song “Hotel California” (1976) bristles with sibilance, juxtaposing words like “stab,” “steely,” “summer,” “sweat,” and “sweet” in evocative, almost surrealistic lyrics.