Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words that are close together.
Here's why "hum" and "ham" don't qualify:
* Different consonant sounds: The initial sounds of "hum" and "ham" are different. "Hum" starts with the /h/ sound, while "ham" starts with the /h/ sound followed by the /m/ sound.
* Not close together: While these words may appear in close proximity, they aren't necessarily close enough to create alliteration. Alliteration is about the sound of words, not necessarily their physical placement.
Example of alliteration:
* "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers." Notice the repetition of the /p/ sound.
Let me know if you'd like more examples!