Efficient Appearance, Sound, and Meaning

Words have three levels to them and are selected for their efficiency in these three areas:

◦ Appearance

◦ Sound

◦ Meaning

Mono-syllabic: one syllable◦ Ex: Sad

Poly-syllabic: multi-syllable◦ Ex. Disconsolate, Despondent

The higher the ratio of poly-syllabic words, the more sophisticated and complex the sentence.

Flesch-Kincaid reading level calculation:

1. Select a few paragraphs to use as your base

2. Calculate the average number of words per sentence. Multiply the result by 0.39

3. Calculate the average number of syllables in words (count and divide). Multiply the result by 11.8

4. Add the two results together, and subtract 15.59

The result will be a number that equates to a grade level. For example, a 6.5 is a sixth grade reading level result.

Euphonious: pleasant sounding◦ Ex: pillow, ocean, mayonnaise

Cacophonous: harsh sounding◦ Ex: awkward, vomit, crash

Denotative: exact meaning◦ Ex: Dress, obese

Connotative: suggested, emotional meaning (+, -)◦ Ex: Gown, plump

Objective: impersonal, unemotional◦ Ex: The rat acquired the cheese.

Subjective: personal, emotional◦ Ex: The foul, disease-ridden beast pilfered my

best Gouda from right under my nose!

Active: states action◦ Ex: The students made progress.

Passive: states being◦ Ex: Progress was made by the students.

Passive voice is used when an author wants to remain vague or conceal info.

(An author uses passive voice to remain vague or conceal info.)

Concrete: specific, tangible◦ Ex: Girl, flag

Abstract: conceptual, not quantifiable◦ Ex: Beauty, patriotism

Concrete details usually provide support, while abstract details fill in meaning.

Hyperbole: deliberate exaggeration of facts◦ Ex: “The shot heard round the world”

Understatement (Litote): deliberate misrepresenting as less◦ Ex: “I was only doing my job” (after saving the

President’s life)

Pedestrian: plain, layman’s terms◦ Ex: Hand me that cookie.

Pedantic: boorish, inflated language attempting to display importance for learning’s sake◦ Ex: Relinquish unto me the floury morsel in your

possession.

Didactic: has an instructive purpose/tone; often associated with a dry, pompous presentation◦ Ex: Most high school lectures

Vulgarity: language deficient in taste and refinement; course, base◦ Ex: @##!, !!%%^@#, and &$%^#

Slang: vernacular speech, sometimes humorous, exaggerated, or shortened for effect◦ Ex: chick, dude, da bomb

Colloquial: regional, provincial; differs from formal language in connotation, pronunciation, usage; accepted in informal conversation◦ Ex: Ya’ll, You guys◦ Ex: Fixin’ to◦ Ex: Ain’t

Jargon: specialized or technical language specific to a profession or field of study◦ Ex: Chip, bite, byte, CPU, zip = computer field

Cliché: language used so often it has lost its freshness and clarity (fig. lang. without the freshness)

◦ Ex: As easy as pie ◦ Ex: Raining cats and dogs◦ Ex: There’s no place like home

Assonance: repetition of similar vowel sounds in closely associated words (half-rhyme)

◦ No pain, no gain.

Consonance: repetition of similar consonant sound in closely associated words

◦ Each slow dusk is a drawing down of blinds.

Alliteration: repetition of initial consonant sound in closely associated words

◦ The twisting trout twinkled below.

Onomatopoeia: words whose pronunciation suggests meaning (sound words)

◦ Buzz, sizzle, hiss

Never are you allowed to say that “the author uses a lot of diction.”

Whenever the word “diction” is used, it must be accompanied by an adjective to describe what kind of diction.