Rhetorical Devices in Public Speaking

These flashcards define key rhetorical devices essential for understanding public speaking and persuasion.

Metaphor

A comparison in which something is said to figuratively be something else.

Hyperbole

An intentional exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of words.

Analogy

A comparison between two similar things, typically using figurative language.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it refers to.

Allusion

The act of casually referencing something, usually a work of popular culture.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms.

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a truth.

Simile

A comparison in which something is said to figuratively be like something else.

Irony

Using words to mean the opposite of their literal meaning.

Personification

The act of giving human attributes to non-human things.

Anecdote

A brief story about something that happened to the speaker.

Euphemism

Using alternative language to refer to explicit or unpleasant things.

Connotation

Using words to suggest a social or emotional meaning.

Meiosis

Using euphemism to minimize the importance of something.

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent person, concept, or inanimate object.

Antithesis

Using parallel structures to contrast two ideas.

Sarcasm

Using irony to mock or convey contempt.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity.

Rhetorical question

A question asked for effect, not requiring an answer.

Epithet

A descriptive term or nickname used to characterize someone.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses.

Climax

Arranging words to increase intensity.

Cacophony

Using harsh or discordant sounds in writing.

Assonance

The repetition of the same vowel sound in different words.

Pun

Humorous use of words that have multiple meanings or similar sounds.

Parallelism

Using grammatically similar phrases or sentences together.

Aphorism

A short, witty statement expressing a truth or opinion.

Synecdoche

Using a part to refer to the whole.

Parody

An imitation of something, usually for comedic effect.

Colloquialism

Informal language or local expressions.

Understatement

Using language to intentionally lessen the significance of something.

Syllogism

An argument that uses deductive reasoning in a logical format.

Eponym

A word based on or derived from a person's name.

Metonymy

Replacing the name of something with something closely related.

Parenthesis

An interruption in the text for clarity.

Expletive

An interrupting word or phrase used for emphasis.

Metanoia

Self-correction in rhetoric.

Chiasmus

Reversing the grammatical order in parallel phrases.

Asyndeton

The removal of conjunctions from a sentence.