Jaila Kaye B.

Capili BAEL 1

Figures of Speech

1. Litotes
 a phrase that utilizes negative wording or terms to express a positive assertion or statement.
(Ex. The food you made isn’t that bad.)
2. Euphemism
 a polite expression used in place of words or phrases that might otherwise be considered
harsh or unpleasant.  It can help you avoid being overly blunt and remain in a tone of
politeness.
(Ex. curvy instead of fat, thrifty instead of cheap)
3. Chiasmus
 the grammar of one phrase is inverted in the following phrase, such that two key concepts
from the original phrase reappear in the second phrase in inverted order.
(Ex. All for one and one for all)
4. Pun
 a humorous way of using a word or phrase so that more than one meaning is suggested. It
can also play with words that sound similar, but not exactly the same.
(Ex. Milk tea shops are inexhaustible because it’s infiniTEA)
5. Synecdoche
 a figure of speech which allows a part to stand for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part.
(Ex. My mother has three mouths to feed at home)
6. Paradox
 a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time.
(Ex. Less is More)
7. Understatement
 a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem
less important than it really is.
(Ex. It’s just a dog – said by a person who accidentally run over a dog)
8. Oxymoron
 a figure of speech pairing two words together that are opposing and/or contradictory
(Ex. This fried chicken is terribly good)
9. Assonance
  figure of speech in which the same vowel sound repeats within a group of words.
Assonance most often refers to the repetition of internal vowel sounds in words that do not
end the same.
(Ex. Rock Around the Clock)
10. Apostrophe
 An apostrophe is a poetic phrase or speech made by a character that is addressed to a
subject that is not literally present in the literary work.
(Ex. My guardian angel, thank you for answering my prayers.