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Subject: English

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Unit 1: Figures of Speech

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Topic 1.2: Sound, meaning, and expression devices

  • In this topic, you learn additional figures of speech often asked in class tests.
  • These devices make speech and writing more:
    • musical
    • expressive
    • memorable

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1) Assonance

Definition:
  • Assonance is repetition of the same vowel sound in nearby words.
How to identify:
  • Listen for repeated vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u sound), not spelling only.
Examples:
  • “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.”
  • “Too cool for school.”

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2) Consonance

Definition:
  • Consonance is repetition of consonant sounds in nearby words.
How to identify:
  • Repeated consonant sound can be in beginning, middle, or end.
Examples:
  • “pitter patter”
  • “stroke of luck”
  • “Jack and Jill went up the hill.”
Note:
  • When repeated end sounds create matching pattern, we often get rhyme effect.

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3) Sibilance

Definition:
  • Sibilance is repetition of hissing sounds like s, sh, z.
How to identify:
  • Listen for a soft hiss-like flow in nearby words.
Examples:
  • “She sells sea shells on the sea shore.”
  • “Simple Simon says softly.”

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Assonance vs Consonance vs Sibilance

  • Assonance: repeated vowel sound.
  • Consonance: repeated consonant sound.
  • Sibilance: repeated hiss sound (s / sh / z), a special sound pattern.

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4) Irony

Definition:
  • Irony is when actual meaning/situation is opposite of what is expected.
How to identify:
  • Ask: “Is reality opposite to expectation?”
Examples:
  • A traffic police officer gets many traffic fines.
  • “Lovely weather!” said during a storm.
  • A proofreader writes a spelling mistake.

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5) Pun

Definition:
  • A pun is wordplay using a word (or words) with double meaning or similar sound.
How to identify:
  • One line gives two meanings at the same time.
Examples:
  • “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”
  • “Can February march? No, but April may.”

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6) Juxtaposition

Definition:
  • Juxtaposition places two opposite or very different ideas side by side for effect.
How to identify:
  • Check if contrast is created by close placement.
Examples:
  • “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
  • “All is fair in love and war.”

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7) Synecdoche

Definition:
  • Synecdoche uses a part to represent whole, or whole to represent part.
How to identify:
  • Part -> whole:
    • “All hands on deck.” (hands = sailors)
  • Whole -> part:
    • “The police arrived.” (police = a few officers)

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8) Anaphora

Definition:
  • Anaphora is repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses/lines.
How to identify:
  • Same starter repeats at the start of nearby lines.
Examples:
  • “Stay home, stay safe.”
  • “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…“

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9) Metonymy

Definition:
  • Metonymy uses one closely related name to stand for another thing.
How to identify:
  • Not part-whole relation (that is synecdoche), but close association.
Examples:
  • “The White House announced…” (White House = US administration)
  • “Delhi decided…” (Delhi = central government)
  • “The pen is mightier than the sword.” (pen = writing power, sword = force)

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10) Litotes

Definition:
  • Litotes expresses a positive idea by using negative wording (understatement).
How to identify:
  • Look for double-negative-like soft expression.
Examples:
  • “Not bad.” (= quite good)
  • “He is not unkind.” (= he is kind)
  • “This is no small achievement.” (= big achievement)

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11) Hyperbole

Definition:
  • Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.
How to identify:
  • Statement is clearly not literal; it is overstatement.
Examples:
  • “I have told you a million times.”
  • “I died laughing.”
  • “It is raining cats and dogs.”

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12) Euphemism

Definition:
  • Euphemism uses a mild/polite expression instead of a harsh or unpleasant one.
How to identify:
  • Softer phrase used to reduce offense or discomfort.
Examples:
  • “passed away” instead of “died”
  • “downsized” instead of “fired”
  • “correctional facility” instead of “prison”

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Quick comparison table

  • Irony: opposite outcome/meaning
  • Pun: double meaning / sound play
  • Juxtaposition: contrast by side-by-side placement
  • Synecdoche: part-whole swap
  • Metonymy: related-name substitution
  • Litotes: positive through negative wording
  • Hyperbole: exaggeration
  • Euphemism: polite softening

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Topic 1.2 quick practice

Identify the device:
  1. “All hands on deck!”
  2. “Not bad at all.”
  3. “She sells sea shells…”
  4. “The classroom was a zoo.”
  5. “I have a ton of homework.”
  6. “The Crown will decide.”
Answers:
  1. Synecdoche
  2. Litotes
  3. Sibilance
  4. Metaphor
  5. Hyperbole
  6. Metonymy

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Exam hints and traps

  • Assonance is vowel sound repetition; consonance is consonant sound repetition.
  • Sibilance is a specific sound pattern (s, sh, z) and can overlap with consonance.
  • Synecdoche uses part-whole relation; metonymy uses close association, not part-whole.
  • Litotes is understatement with negative form (not bad).
  • Hyperbole is intentional exaggeration and not meant literally.
  • Irony needs contrast between expectation and actual outcome.

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Extra practice (mixed)

Identify each device:
  1. “The kettle is boiling.” (speaker means water is boiling)
  2. “Not uncommon.”
  3. “The snake slithered silently.”
  4. “The throne decided.”
  5. “I have a mountain of homework.”
Answer key:
  1. Metonymy
  2. Litotes
  3. Sibilance
  4. Metonymy
  5. Hyperbole