FIGURES of SPEECH
COMMON CORE STANDARD
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that has a meaning other than the literal meaning.
EXAMPLES:
Similes
Metaphors
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia
Personification
Hyperbole
SIMILES ~ METAPHORS
What is a simile? A simile is a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as." Examples:
- As wise as an owl
- Eats like a pig
- As slippery as an eel
- Like peas in a pod
What is a metaphor? A metaphor compares two unlike things or ideas. Examples:
- She is a night owl.
- He is an ogre.
- Time is money.
- Her teeth are white pearls.
ALLITERATION ~ ONOMATOPOEIA
What is alliteration? Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds of neighboring words. Examples:
- She sells seashells.
- Which wrist watches are Swiss wrist watches?
- Six slippery snails, slid slowly seaward.
What is onomatopoeia? Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates, resembles or suggests the sound that it describes. Examples:
- Click
- Buzz
- Oink
PERSONIFICATION ~ HYPERBOLE
What is personification? Personification is giving human qualities to non-living things or ideas. Examples:
- The snowflakes danced in the storm.
- Thunder grumbled all over town.
- The wind howled all night.
What is hyperbole? Hyperbole uses exaggeration for emphasis or effect. Examples:
- I’ve told you the same thing a million times!
- That dress must cost a zillion dollars.
- I could do this forever and ever.
IDIOMS
An idiom is a word or phrase that must not be taken literally. Examples:
- “Break a leg” means good luck.
- If you are a “ham” you overact.
- “It takes two to tango” means that more than one person is at fault or involved.
- "Pay the piper" means you need to face the consequences of your actions.
Irony is when there is a contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between appearance and reality. Examples are:
- “How nice!” she said, when I told her I had to work all weekend. (Verbal irony)
- The audience knows the killer is hiding in a closet in a scary movie but the actors do not. (Dramatic irony)