consists of 10 common figures of speech.

1. Figures of
speechBy- Anushika Bansal
10th A
03

2. Repetition
Refrain
Oxymoron
A figure of speech is a rhetorical device that achieves a special effect by using
words in distinctive ways. Though there are hundreds of figures of speech , here
we'll focus on just 10 of the most common figures.

3. Simile
It is a comparison between two things that are different but
may seem similar in a way.
Generally the prepositions ‘like’ and ‘as’ are used to form
similes:
• ex. Happier than a kid in Candy Land.
• Wetter than a fish in water.
Apart from these, there are also many
similes that don’t use ‘as’ or ‘like’ in their
formation, these are called submerged similes :
• She is as graceful as a ballerina.
• His voice is like the lion’s roar.

4. Metaphor
It is a comparison between two concepts, tightened by the
omission of any adjoining words.
• The assignment was a breeze.
• It is going to be clear skies from now on.
• Her voice is music to his ears.
A metaphor expresses the unfamiliar (the tenor) in terms of
the familiar (the vehicle). When Neil Young sings, "Love
is a rose," "rose" is the vehicle for "love," the tenor.

5. Alliteration
 The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the
beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
• But a better butter makes a batter better.
• A big bully beats a baby boy.
Examples of names are : Sammy Sosa, Jesse
Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Fred Flintstone, Donald duck
& SpongeBob Square-pants.
Here are several common examples : PayPal, Best Buy,
Coca-Cola, Park Place, American Apparel, American
Airlines, Chubby Cheeks, Bed Bath & Beyond.

6. Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which a thing, an
idea or an animal is given human attributes. The non-
human objects are portrayed in such a way that we feel
they have the ability to act like human beings.
For example, when we say, “The sky weeps” we are giving
the sky the ability to cry, which is a human quality. Thus,
we can say that the sky has been personified in the given
sentence.
Common examples :
• Time and tide waits for none.

7. Irony
 In its broadest sense, is a rhetorical device, literary
technique, or event characterized by an incongruity, or
contrast, between what the expectations of a situation are
and what is really the case, with a third element, that defines
that what is really the case is ironic because of the situation
that led to it.
Three most common
types of Irony3

8. Onomatopoeia
 The use of words (such as hiss or murmur) that imitate the sounds
associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
 Adjective: onomatopoeic or onomatopoetic.
 Common Onomatopoeia Letter Combinations :
• Words Related to Water – bloop, splash, squirt, drip.
• Words Related to the Voice –giggle, murmur, chatter, blurt.
• Words Related to Collisions –bam, bang, clap, slap, thud.
• Words Related to Air – flutter, gasp, swish, whoosh, whizz, whip.
• Animal Sounds – baa, bark, chirp, cock-a-doodle-doo, hiss, meow, moo,
neigh, purr, quack,
• Miscellaneous Examples –
Onomatopoeia can also be found
in literature, songs and
advertisements as well.

9. Repetition
Repetition is a literary device that repeats the same words or phrases a few times to
make an idea clearer. There are several types of repetitions commonly used in
both prose and poetry.
As a rhetorical device, it could be a word, a phrase or a full sentence or a poetical line
repeated to emphasize its significance in the entire text.
Repetition is not distinguished solely as a figure of speech but more as a rhetorical
device.
Example :
• Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn…

10. Refrain
A phrase, verse, or group of verses repeated at intervals throughout a
song or poem, especially at the end of each stanza.
• Music for the refrain of a song.
• A song or melody.
• A repeated utterance or theme.
An example of refrain is the part
"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, The answer is blowin' in
the wind." in Peter Paul and Mary's 1960's folk song "Blowing in the
Wind."

11. Oxymoron
Oxymoron, plural oxymora, is a
figure of speech in which two
opposite ideas are joined to create
an effect. The common oxymoron
phrase is a combination of an
adjective proceeded by a noun with
contrasting meanings.
 Examples, cruel kindness, living
death, Open secret, Tragic comedy,
Seriously funny, Awfully pretty,
Foolish wisdom, Original copies,

12. Hyperbole
Hyperbole, derived from a Greek word meaning
“over-casting” is a figure of speech, which
involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of
emphasis. It is a device that we employ in our
day-to-day speech.
Common Examples of Hyperbole :
• Your suitcase weighs a ton!
• She is as heavy as an elephant!
• I am dying of shame.
• I am trying to solve a million issues these days.