AP English Jargon A1 Terms

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1.

Alliteration

the repetition of the same sounds, usually

initial consonants, in neighboring words
ex: She sells sea shells by the seashore.

2.

Assonance

the repetition of identical or similar

consonants in neighboring words whose
vowel sounds are different
ex: "Hear the mellow wedding bells" - Edgar
Allen Poe

3.

Cacophonous

having a harsh or discordant sound

ex: crackle, wrangler

4.

Colloquial

characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or

familiar conversation rather than formal
speech or writing; informal
ex: "LOL" or "dude" would be used.

5.

Connotation

The range of further associations that a word

or phrase suggests in addition to it's
straightforward literal meaning
Ex: the word "home" gives the connotation of
refuge, or resting place.
Richard Nordquist, grammar & composition

6.

Consonance

the repetition of identical or similar vowel

sounds in neighboring words whose vowel
sounds are different
ex: Slither and lather

7.

Denotation

The precise, literal meaning of a word,

without emotional associations or overtones.
Ex: the word "home" detonates the house
where one lives.
Richard Nordquist, grammar & composition

8.

Dentals

(of a speech sound) articulated with the

tongue tip touching the back of the upper
front teeth or immediately above them
ex: the 'th' sound

9.

Dysphmism

A derogatory or unpleasant term used instead

of a pleasant or neutral one
ex: "loony bin" for "mental hospital.".

10.

Euphemsim

the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague

expression for one thought to be offensive,
harsh, or blunt.
ex: "to pass away" instead of "to die

11.

Euphonious

denoting or relating to euphony; pleasing to

the ear
ex: pleasure, symphony

12.

Gutturals

pertaining to or characterized by a sound

articulated in the back of the mouth
ex: letter sounds such as 'h'

LabialDentals

sounds that are made with the upper teeth

and lower lips (f and v)
ex: letter sounds such as 'f'

Labials

involving lip articulation

ex: words such as 'ewe'

13.

14.

15.

Liquids

Unlike other consonant sounds, these sounds

/r/ and /l/, do not obstruct air in the mouth.
These sounds are more vowel-like in that they
do not involve direct contact between the lips,
tongue and the roof of the mouth as other
consonants do
ex: letter sounds such as 'r'

16.

Motif

A recurring image, word, phrase, idea, object, or

situation that appears in various works or
throughout the same work
Ex: one of the most recurring themes in the
"Harry Potter" series is the sacrificial love of
Harry's mother lily, who died to protect her
infant son

17.

Nasals

pronounced with the voice issuing through the

nose, either partly or entirely
ex: sounds of the letters 'm', 'n', 'ng'

18.

Phonetics

the science or study of speech sounds and their

production, transmission, and reception, and
their analysis, classification, and transcription

19.

Rhyme

the similarity of sound between two words

ex: cat, hat, rat, bat

20.

Sibilants

characterized by a hissing sound

ex: sounds of letters such as 's', 'z', and 'sh'

21.

Vernacular

the everyday speech of the people (as

distinguished from literary language)
ex: "...we was always naked day and night,
whenever the mosquitoes would let us- the new
clothes Buck's folks made for me was too good to
be comfortable, and besides I didn't go much on
clothes, nohow." - The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain