Figures of Speech
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Figures Of Speech Definition: The Top 20 Figures 1. Alliteration The repetition of an initial consonant sound. 2. Anaphora The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses. (Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe .) 3. Antithesis The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. 4. Apostrophe Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an inanimate object, or a nonexistent character. 5. Assonance Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words. 6. Chiasmus A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed. 7. Euphemism The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
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Transcript of Figures of Speech
Figures Of Speech
Definition:The various rhetorical uses of language (such as metaphor, metonymy, hyperbole, and chiasmus) that depart from customary construction, order, or significance.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
Rhetoric Definition:
1. The study and practice of effective communication.
2. The study of the effects of texts on audiences.
3. The art of persuasion.
4. A pejorative term for insincere eloquence intended to win points and manipulate others. Metaphor
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
Definition:
A trope or figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between two unlike things that
actually have something in common. Adjective: metaphorical.
A metaphor expresses the unfamiliar (the tenor) in terms of the familiar (the vehicle). When Neil Young
sings, "Love is a rose," "rose" is the vehicle for "love," the tenor. (In cognitive linguistics, the
terms target and source are roughly equivalent to tenor and vehicle.)
Types of Metaphors:
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
absolute, burlesque,catachrestic, complex, conceptual, conduit,conventional, creative, dead, extended, grammatical,kenning, mixed, ontological, personification, primary,root, structural, submerged, therapeutic, visual
MetonymyDefinition:
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely
associated (such as "crown" for "royalty").
Metonymy is also the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things
around it, as in describing someone's clothing to characterize the individual. Adjective: metonymic.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
Hyperbole
Definition:
A figure of speech (a form of irony) in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect; an
extravagant statement. Adjective: hyperbolic. Contrast with understatement.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
ChiasmusDefinition:
In rhetoric, a verbal pattern (a type of antithesis) in which the second half of an expression is balanced
against the first with the parts reversed. Essentially the same as antimetabole. Adjective: chiastic.
Plural: chiasmus or chiasmi.
Note that a chiasmus includes anadiplosis, but not every anadiplosis reverses itself in the manner of a
chiasmus.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
Top 20 Figures of Speech
A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that achieves a special effect by using words in distinctive
ways. Though there are hundreds of figures of speech (many of them included in our Tool Kit for
Rhetorical Analysis), here we'll focus on just 20 of the most common figures.
You will probably remember many of these terms from your English classes. Figurative language is
often associated with literature--and with poetry in particular. But the fact is, whether we're conscious
of it or not, we use figures of speech every day in our own writing and conversations.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
The Top 20 Figures
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
8. Hyperbole
An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or
heightened effect.
9. Irony
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. A statement or situation where
the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
10. Litotes
A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by
negating its opposite.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
11. Metaphor
An implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in
common.
12. Metonymy
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it's closely
associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things
around it.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
13. Onomatopoeia
The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
14. Oxymoron
A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
15. Paradox
A statement that appears to contradict itself.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
16. Personification
A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or
abilities.
17. Pun
A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar
sense or sound of different words.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
18. Simile
A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two fundamentally dissimilar
things that have certain qualities in common.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
19. Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole (for example, ABCs foralphabet)
or the whole for a part ("England won the World Cup in 1966").
20. Understatement
A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important
or serious than it is.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
1. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
2. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
3. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
4. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
5. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
6. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
7. Hyperbole
An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose of emphasis or
heightened effect.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
8. Irony
The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. A statement or situation where
the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
9. Litotes
A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by
negating its opposite.
10. Metaphor
An implied comparison between two unlike things that actually have something important in
common.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
11. Metonymy
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it's closely
associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things
around it.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
12. Onomatopoeia
The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
13. Oxymoron
A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear side by side.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
14. Paradox
A statement that appears to contradict itself.
15. Personification
A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is endowed with human qualities or
abilities.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
16. Pun
A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and sometimes on the similar
sense or sound of different words.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
17. Simile
A stated comparison (usually formed with "like" or "as") between two fundamentally dissimilar
things that have certain qualities in common.
18. Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole (for example, ABCs foralphabet)
or the whole for a part ("England won the World Cup in 1966").
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
19. Understatement
A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important
or serious than it is.
The Top 20 Figures
1. Alliteration
The repetition of an initial consonant sound.
2. Anaphora
The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or verses.
(Contrast with epiphora and epistrophe.)
3. Antithesis
The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases.
4. Apostrophe
Breaking off discourse to address some absent person or thing, some abstract quality, an
inanimate object, or a nonexistent character.
5. Assonance
Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring words.
6. Chiasmus
A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with
the parts reversed.
7. Euphemism
The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively explicit.
