In English grammar and literary terms, what is the one word used for the commencement of several neighbouring words with the same letter or the same initial sound, as often seen in poetic or rhetorical effect?

Introduction / Context:
This is a vocabulary and figure of speech question. It asks for a single term that describes the repetition of the same initial letter or sound at the beginning of neighbouring words. Recognising such stylistic devices is important for verbal sections of competitive exams and also for understanding literary passages in English language tests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question refers to the commencement of words with the same letter or the same initial sound.
The context suggests a stylistic or rhetorical device used in literature and poetry.
We have four candidate terms: Alliteration, Oxymoron, Pun and Transferred epithet.
We must select the term that accurately matches the described phenomenon.

Concept / Approach:
The concept we are looking for is a device where nearby words begin with the same consonant sound, leading to a musical or emphatic effect. Alliteration is the well known term for this pattern, such as in the phrase "cool, calm and collected." Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory terms, a pun is a play on words, and a transferred epithet is a shift of an adjective from the logical noun to another noun. Only one term fits the idea of repeated initial sounds.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can consult basic English grammar or literary device references. Alliteration is always defined as repetition of the same beginning consonant sound in nearby words or stressed syllables. Since the question explicitly mentions the commencement of words with the same letter, this definition matches perfectly. The other options do not contain any connection with beginning letters or sounds, which confirms that the correct answer must be alliteration.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Oxymoron deals with contradictory ideas placed next to each other and has nothing to do with repeating initial letters.

Pun focuses on humorous or clever wordplay involving different meanings or similar sounds but does not require words to share the same starting letter.

Transferred epithet is a grammatical and stylistic shift of an adjective, not a device about the first letters of multiple words, so it cannot fit the given description.

Common Pitfalls:
Test takers sometimes confuse alliteration with rhyme, but rhyme is the repetition of sounds at the ends of words, not at their beginnings. Another pitfall is mixing up these figures of speech by name only, without revising their definitions. Reviewing simple examples of each device and linking them to short phrases makes it much easier to recall the correct term during exams.

Final Answer:
The correct one word for commencement of words with the same letter is Alliteration.