LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

FIGURE OF SPEECH BASE ON WORD CHOICE/ WORD ORDER FOR

EMPHASIS
Hyperbole
It is an exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Common examples are:
- I have not met you for ages.
- For ages here stand for a very long time. So, it is a hyperbole.
- I am dealing with a million issues these days. Million is a huge
number
- It I hear any more music, I will go deaf. I will go deaf is a hyperbole
because nobody goes deaf after listening to a music.

Chiasmus
A chiasmus is a figure of speech in which words, grammatical constructions,
or concepts are repeated in reverse order.
e.g. Never let a fool to kiss you or a kiss to fool you.
Here, the ideas are not really opposite as can be in antithesis, even the words
chose are the same. Just the word others are reverse in the clauses with a
balance against each order to create an artistic effect.
Another example:
One must eat to live
Not live to eat

Understatement
The exact opposite of hyperbole is understatement. It is to say that something
is smaller less important, etc than it is in reality.

• e.g. Elon Musk is financially secure.

Saying that is an understatement because Elon Musk is the richest man in
the man.

• Having your leg broken is somewhat painful.

This an understatement because a fractured leg can be the most painful
experience one can have in life.

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LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

Litotes
Litotes is an ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed
by negating the contrary statement.
e.g. A child enjoying an ice-cream says: this ice-cream is not bad not
bad means its good.
Anaphora
It is the repetition of a word or phrase at the very beginning of successive
phrases, clauses or sentences.
e.g. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to
what lies within us.
Raph Waldo Emerson
One of the well-known use of anaphora is the famous speech delivered
by Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream. The phrase “I have a dream” is
repeated 08 times in this iconic speech of hope and expectation.
Epistrophe
As opposed to anaphora, the repetition of word in epistrosphe is not at
the beginning. It is the repetition of a word, or phrase at the end of successive
phrases, clauses, or sentences.
e.g. There is an epistrophe is the definition of democracy
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the
people.
-When I was a kid, I thought as a kid, I understood as a kid, I spoke as
a kid.
Rhetorical question
It is a question posed to provoke thought rather to generate an answer.
This type of question may have an obvious answer that the reader or the
listener already knows.
e.g. A father to his son :
Does money grow on trees
It may happen that the answer is not obvious.
e.g. In a hot after you ask your friends:
It is too hot today, is not it
Obviously, this question tag does not need an answer.

Suggested by Dr Albert Omolegbé KOUKPOSSI, Senior Lecturer and Coach

LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

Climax
Climax suggests the image of a ladder. So, Climax is a figure of speech
in which a series of ideas is arranged in which a series of ideas in order of
increasing importance or forcefulness.
e.g. One of the famous climax is attributed to Julius Caesar.
“Veni, Vidi, Vici” meaning:
I came, I saw, and I conquered

OTHER FIGURES OF SPEECH

A- Allusion
It is an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it
explicitly, it is an indirect or passing reference.
• Allusion based on famous persons
e.g.Nelson Mandela’s non-violence ideology is a relevant today as it were
yesterday.
Comment: this is an allusion because in the sentence I am making allusion
to Mandela’s principles that will suddenly rise up in the reader’s mind
although I have not explicitly mentioned those principles. It is clear that
principles of non-violence.
He has an Einstein’s brains.
Comment: this is an allusion, in fact Albert Einstein was one of the famous
physicians of all times. Everyone knows him as be one of the brilliant person
that exists on this planet. So, in this sentence, when I make reference to him
in this sentence, I connect my message to what the listener has already
known.
It appears that one of the condition necessary for allusion to work is that the
couple of words that embedded many information should be known to the
audience.
• Allusion based on mythology or tales
*The Brand Nike

Suggested by Dr Albert Omolegbé KOUKPOSSI, Senior Lecturer and Coach

LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

Nike is a big company that sells shoes. It is in fact an allusion to the winged
goddess of victory, who can run and fly at great speeds. So, the allusion is that
if you use their shoes, you can run at great speeds.
*The pandora’s box
In the mythology, Pandora was a female creature endowed with all gifts and
send by gods on earth to punish human beings. One of her gifts was a box
that she was forbidden to open. But one day out of curiosity, she opened the
box and unleashed some evil sprints and diseases. So there comes in the
expression ‘’Pandora’s box” , which stands for something that is precursor to
several bad happenings.

If someone writes:
By accepting that position, she has opened up a Pandora’s box; he uses an
allusion. It means that there are a lot of problems that she has to face because
of the position.

• Allusion based on famous work of Art

Eg: - She must return home by the Cinderella hour

(the allusion to the fairy tale of Cinderella and that of twelve o’clock deadline)
- She has a mysterious smile like that of Monalisa.
(this is a direct allusion to the famous painting by Govenci.

ANAGRAM
It is a word, phrase or name formed by rearranging the letters of another.
Eg : thing can be rearranged into night
THING – NIGHT
SECURE – RESCUE
The eyes – They see
THE EYES - THEY SEE
Anagram is a word play. So, it is made for fun
The following anagrams are famous and interesting.
SLOT MACHINES – CASHLOST IN ME

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LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

A GENTLEMAN – ELEGANT MAN

DECIMAL POINT – I AM A DOT IN PLACE
ELECTION RESULTS – LIES- LET’S RECOUNT

OXYMORON
Looking at how the word oxymoron is formed, we see that it is made of two
elements “Oxus” meaning “sharp”, and “Moros” meaning stupid. We can see
that sharp and stupid are contradictory.
So, an oxymoron is a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear
to be contradictory like sharp and stupid.
Eg : This class is fully empty
(The phrase fully empty is an oxymoron because the words fully and empty
are clearly opposite)
- Is it possible to have living dead among us?
(living dead brings to our mind a creature called zombie- living dead is an
oxymoron because living and dead are clearly contradictory.

Common oxymorons
*open secret
Her life was an open secret
*clearly confused
He was clearly confused
*found missing
The children were found missing after school
*original copy
She bought an original copy of the shoe
*act naturally
A seasoned actor acts naturally
*deafening silence
There was a deafening silence in the room

Suggested by Dr Albert Omolegbé KOUKPOSSI, Senior Lecturer and Coach

LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

EUPHEMISM
The word euphemism derives from the prefix “eu” meaning “well” meaning
“speaking”. So, a euphemism is a situation in which people seek to use good
words when speaking instead of offensive or embarrassing words.
Euphemism is a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one
considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant
or embarrassing.
Eg : My uncle is in a correctional facility. (instead of jail)
*a boss to an employee
I am sorry to let you go (instead, I’m sorry you are fired)
Some common euphemism
- “Passed away” is a euphemism for died
-“Physically challenged” or “differently abled is a euphemism for handicaped
disabled”
*”use the restroom” – go to the bathroom

DYSPHEMISM
It is a derogatory or unpleasant term used instead of a pleasant or natural
one. Dysphemism is generally used to shock or offend
Common examples
Nutcase is a dysphemism for someone with a mental illness
Loser is a dysphemism for a person who hasn’t made a lot money or had a
professional career.
Bullshit is a dysphemism for lies.
Animal names when applied to people are dysphemism for bitch, snake, coot,
old bat, pig, etc.

Epithet
An epithet is simply a descriptive term used to characterize a person or thing
mentioned.
Eg : Usein Bolt, the run machine
- epithet for super heroes: “superman” known through the epithet “man of
steel”

Suggested by Dr Albert Omolegbé KOUKPOSSI, Senior Lecturer and Coach

LEL 1406 / University of Abomey-Calavi/FLLAC

ELLIPSIS
It refers to omission of a word.
It is in fact the omission of a word or a phrase from speech or writing that are
superfluous (without which we can still understand the sentence)
Eg : I went to the cinema on Monday and my sister went to the cinema the
next day.
If I omitted “went to the cinema, it is an ellipsis and the sentence becomes:
“I went to the cinema on Monday and my sister the next day.”

Tautology
In contrast to ellipsis, tautology refers to the repetition or redundancy of words
or ideas.
It is the saying of the same thing twice over in different words, generally
considered to be a fault of style in modern grammar
Eg: it is a free gift (we really did not need to use the word free to describe gift)
*The manager returned back today (The use of the word back with
returned is superfluous)
*this project requires some forward planning

Parody/Spoof
A parody also known as spoof is imitating something in order to make fun of
then
Eg: comedians often imitate the style of some popular actors or politicians
A parody is an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with
deliberate exaggeration for comic effect

Satire
It is the use of humour, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticize
people’s stupidity or vices;
The objective is not to make people laugh only. It is to educate, to make them
think about important issues.

Suggested by Dr Albert Omolegbé KOUKPOSSI, Senior Lecturer and Coach