DICTION
(Choice of Words)
Varieties-of Diction
Abstract:
relationships.
words that refer to ideas, qualities, conditions, categories, or
Concrete:
words that refer to definite persons, places, objects and acts
Cliché :
trite, worn-out expression
Dialect:
words, phrases, and pronunciations characteristic of a particular
region or group
Euphemism:
polite, mild word or phrase used in place of a more common term
which the user fears might be harsh, unpleasant, or objectionable
Inflated:
"big words" or phrases which are pompous, affected, or stilted
Jargon:
words or phrases used by a particular professional, occupational,
or interest group
Malapropism:
misuse of a word, especially through confusion caused by
similarity in sound
Neologism:
new or made-up words
Old-fashioned
(obsolete or archaic): words no longer in common use
Slang:
colloquial language, often that of a special group in society,
originating from a desire for novelty or being in fashion
Vague:
words that convey no precise meaning
Figurative Language: Metaphor
- implied comparison between two unlike things
that have something in common
Simile
- stated comparison between two unlike things
that have something in common, usually
employing “like” or “as”
Irony
- language which signifies the reverse of its
literal meaning
Understatement - deliberately stating less than the intended
meaning; the opposite of exaggeration
Onomatopoeia
Levels of Diction
Formal
General
Informal
Nonstandard
- words which create a sound representative of
the meaning