lang modes

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, such as “wild winds whistle.”

Analogy

A comparison between two things that helps explain an idea or support an argument.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates a sound, such as “buzz,” “crash,” or “sizzle.”

Allusion

A reference to a recognizable person, event, text, or belief that connects an idea to shared knowledge.

Oxymoron

Two contradictory words placed together, such as “deafening silence.”

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that reveals a possible truth, such as “Less is more.”

Irony

A contrast between what is said and meant, what is expected and happens, or what different people know.

Connotation

The feelings or associations connected to a word beyond its literal definition.

Meiosis

Deliberate understatement that makes something seem less significant than it is, such as calling a serious wound “a scratch.”

Apostrophe

Directly addressing someone absent or dead, or something nonhuman, as if it could respond.

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas expressed in similar grammatical structures, such as “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

Climax

Arranging words or ideas in increasing order of importance or intensity.

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures to connect or emphasize ideas, such as “to learn, to grow, to succeed.”

Understatement

Presenting something as less important, serious, or intense than it actually is, often for humor or emphasis.

Parenthesis

Inserting an extra explanation or comment that interrupts a sentence’s main structure, often using commas, dashes, or parentheses.

Epistrophe

Repetition of the same word or phrase at the ends of successive clauses or sentences.

Chiasmus

Reversing grammatical structures in successive phrases, such as “She has all my love; my heart belongs to her.”

Anadiplosis

Repeating the ending word or phrase of one clause at the beginning of the next, such as “Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hatred.”

Antimetabole

Repeating the same words in reverse order, such as “Eat to live, not live to eat.”