variation

/ˌvɛəɹɪˈeɪʃn̩/noun
Middle School
1

The act of varying; a partial change in the form, position, state, or qualities of a thing.

2

A related but distinct thing.

3

The angular difference at the vessel between the direction of true north and magnetic north.

4

A line of play that differs from the original.

5

A technique where material is repeated with alterations to the melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, counterpoint or orchestration; but with some invariant characteristic, e.g. a ground bass.

6

The modification of a hereditary trait.

7

Deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body.

8

The situation where two or more linguistic forms appear in the same environment without a change in meaning, the choice of form being determined by factors of dialect, sociolect, register or simply the speaker's preference.

Thesaurus

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Rhymes

Words that share the same ending sound pattern

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing