⇾ ALLITERATION: repetition of consonant letters or sounds at the beginning of words within a sentence
⤑ ex) Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers.
⇾ ALLUSION: reference to something famous
⤑ ex) You’re not Superman.
⇾ ANAPHORA: repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or phrases
⇾ ASSONANCE: repetition of a vowel sound in a sentence
⤑ ex) The beast traveled east to reach the beach.
⇾ CLICHÉ: phrase repeated so often it loses meaning
⤑ ex) They all lived happily ever after.
⇾ CONSONANCE: repetition of a consonance sound in a sentence
⤑ ex) Tuck’s luck struck when the truck did not get stuck in the muck.
⇾ HYPERBOLE: exaggeration that cannot possibly be true
⤑ ex) He ran faster than the speed of light.
⇾ IDIOM: no literal meaning but implies meaning
⤑ ex) There’s something fishy going on here.
⇾ IMAGERY: vivid descriptions utilizing the senses
⤑ ex) The rising sun casted a rosy hue across the morning sky.
⇾ IRONY: what actually happens contradicts the expected
⤑ ex) The fire station burned down.
⇾ LITOTES: using negative words to describe something positive
⇾ METAPHOR: direct comparison between unrelated things; describing something as something it is not for effect
⇾ METONYMY: a word replaced by another closely associated word
⤑ ex) He swore loyalty to the crown. (crown=king/queen)
⇾ ONOMATOPOEIA: words used to express sound
⤑ ex) Bang! Boo! Crash! Ouch! Zonk!
⇾ OXYMORON: words that contradict each other but make sense together nonetheless
⇾ PERSONIFICATION: giving inanimate objects human qualities or a sense of life
⇾ PUN: a play on words that adds extra meaning
⤑ ex) Grammar lovers have a lot of comma sense.
⇾ SARCASM: caustic use of words or ironic remark used to mock something
⤑ ex) I love having writer’s block.
⇾ SIMILE: comparison between things using the words ‘as’ or ‘like’
⤑ ex) Her eyes shined like diamonds.
⇾ SYMBOLISM: using an item or word to describe an abstract idea
⤑ ex) He raised his flag high to show his patriotism.
⇾ SYNECDOCHE: word used to represent a whole
⤑ ex) She didn’t have cash so she paid with plastic. (plastic=credit card)
⇾ TAUTOLOGY: repetition of words or phrases to emphasize statement
⇾ UNDERSTATEMENT: making something less important than it is
⤑ ex) It’s not that serious. It’s only the end of the world.