FIGURES OF

SPEECH
MR. JOSHUA JAY M. NAVIGAR, LPT
FIGURES
OF
SPEECH
 WHAT IS FIGURES OF
SPEECH?
 a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for
rhetorical or vivid effect.

 the use of special effects in language, intended to

make the text memorable, pleasing or surprising.

 FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE – language that is

rich in figures of speech
FIGURES OF SPEECH
 A figure of speech is a word or
phrase that has a meaning other
than the literal meaning.

 These are used to create clarity,

interest, or rhetorical effect.
 Divided into three (3) :

A. PHONOLOGICAL - based on sound

effects
B. LEXICAL – based on the use of words
C. SYNTACTIC – based on sentence
structures
Phonetic Figure
of Speech
6
 A. PHONOLOGICAL

1. Alliteration
2. Assonance/Consonance
3. Onomatopoeia
8

Can you keep that cat

from clawing the
couch? It’s creating
chaos.
Guess the word

A little ration

Alliteration
 Alliteration
 al·lit·er·a·tion  \ ə-ˌli-tə-ˈrā-shən \

the repetition of usually

initial consonant sounds
in two or more
neighboring words or
syllables
ALLITERATION

A stylistic device in which



a number of words,
having the first consonant
sound, occur close
together in a series.
ALLITERATION

Series of same consonant

sounds

Examples:
Tell the teacher to teach you alliteration.
Come and clean your closet.
EXAM
PLE I scream, you scream,
we all scream for ice
cream!

I saw Susie sitting

in a shoe shine
shop.
ALLITERATION

Severus Snape
Coca Cola

Krispy Kreme

Tongue Twisters
EXAM
PLES
EXAM
PLES
10

I must confess that in

my quest I felt
depressed and
restless.
Guess the word

As soon as

Assonance
Assonance
  as·so·nance  \ ˈa-sə-nən(t)s \
 thefigurative term
used to refer to the
repetition of a vowel
sound in a line of text
or poetry. 
ASSONANCE

The repetition of


vowel sounds in
nearby words.
The rain in Spain falls mainly in
the plains.
Go and mow the lawn.

Fleet feet sweep by sleeping

streets.
11

And the silken sad uncertain

rustling of each purple curtain.

The lumpy, bumpy road.

CONSONANCE

Repetition of
final consonant
sounds
The string
was strong.
13

The book fell on the

table with a loud
thump.
Guess the word

Oh no ma! Two pay,

ah?

Onomatopoeia
ONOMATOPOEIA

It creates a sound effect



that mimics the thing

described, making the
description more
expressive and interesting.
EXAM
PLES
EXAM
PLES
1. The sheep went, “Baa.”
EXAM
2. The bridge collapsed creating aPLES
tremendous boom.
3. The gigantic dog said, “Bow-wow!”
4. Both bees and buzzers buzz.
5. The cash register popped open with a heart warming ca-
ching.
6. The bird’s chirp filled the empty night air.
7. Her heels clacked on the hardwood floor.
8. The clanging pots and pans awoke the baby.
9. If you want the red team to win, clap your hands right
now!
10.The cadets swelled with pride when they heard 31
the clash of the cymbals at their graduation ceremony.
ONOMATOPOEIA

Tik tok, on the clock.

The buzzing bee flew away.

The best part about music

class is that you can bang

on the drum.
Lexical Figure
of Speech
33
 B. LEXICAL
1. Simile 9. Oxymoron
2. Metaphor 10. Paradox

3. Personificatio 11. Apostrophe

n
4. Hyperbole
5. Irony
6. Cliché
7. Euphemism
8. Synecdoche
1

A hot wind was blowing around

my head, the strands of my hair
lifting and swirling in it, like ink
spilled in water.”

The Blind Assassin by Margaret

Atwood.
 Simile
  sim·i·le  \ ˈsi-mə-(ˌ)lē \
 a figureof
speech comparing two
unlike things that is
often introduced
by like or as
SIMILE

a figure of speech


comparing two unlike

things that is often
introduced by like or as
.
They fought like
cats and dogs.
He is as strong as

an ox.
 EXAMPLES
as brave as a lion – describes a very brave person
as clever as a fox – describes a very clever person
as old as the hills – describes an old person or idea
a diamond in the rough – describes someone with a
brilliant future
fit as a fiddle – describes a person in a good shape
as meek as a lamb – describes a person who is too
weak and humble
2

“All the world’s a stage, And all the

men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their
entrances, And one man in his time
plays many parts.”

– William Shakespeare
 Metaphor
  met·a·phor  \ ˈme-tə-ˌfȯr also -fər \
a figure of speech in which a
word or phrase literally
denoting one kind of object
or idea is used in place of
another to suggest a likeness
or analogy between them
METAPHOR

A metaphor is a direct


comparison between two

unlike things not using the
word “like” or “as.”
This poster is a work of art.
He is a shining star.

The snow is a white

blanket.
 EXAMPLES
1. My brother was boiling mad.
2. The assignment was a breeze.
3. Her voice is music to his ears.
4. It is going to be clear skies from
now.
5. The skies of his future began to
darken.
3

Fear knocked on the door.

Faith answered. There was
no one there.

- Proverb
Personification
   \ pər-ˌsä-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən \
a figure of speech in which
human attributes are given
to an animal, object, or a
concept
PERSONIFICATION

 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.
 Lightning danced
across the sky.
The wind howled in

the night.
4
I'll love you, dear, I'll love you till China and Africa
meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
I'll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.“

As I Walked Out One Evening" by W.H. Auden:

 Hyperbole
   hy·per·bo·le  \ hī-ˈpər-bə-(ˌ)lē \

an exaggeration or
overstatement.
HYPERBOLE

a figure of speech that



involves an exaggeration of
ideas for the sake of
emphasis.
 The bag weighs a
ton.
He’s running faster

than the wind.

EXAMPLES:
 I am dying of shame.
 Ages have passed since i last saw you.

 “I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you

Till China and Africa meet,

And the river jumps over the mountain” –
W.H Auden
15

There are cockroaches

infesting the office of a
pest control service.
Guess the word

Hi, Ronnie!

Irony
 Irony
    \ ˈī-rə-nē also ˈī(-ə)r-nē \
The difference between
how things seem to be
and the reality.
 Types of Irony
•Verbal Irony – occurs when a speaker’s
intention is the opposite of what he or she is
saying.

•Situational Irony – occurs when the actual

result of the situation is totally different
from what you expect the result to be.

•Dramatic Irony – occurs when the audience

knows a key piece of information that a
character in a play, movie, or novel does not
IRONY

An expression of one’s


meaning by using language

that normally signifies the
opposite, typically for
humorous effect.
 IRONY
The name of Britain’s
biggest dog is “Tiny”
The fire station burns down.

A marriage counsellor files

a divorce.
Cliche
  cli·ché  \ klē-ˈshā , ˈklē-ˌ , kli-ˈ \

(French “stencil”),
worn-out simile or
metaphor
Cliché
a phrase or opinion
that is overused and
betrays a lack of
original thought.
At the end of the
day…
Let’s be honest…
Let’s face it…
5

You are not poor, you

are economically
disadvantaged.
Guess the word

You Fe me seem

EUPHEMISM
 Euphemism
   eu·phe·mism  \ ˈyü-fə-ˌmi-zəm \

an inoffensive word or
expression substituted
for one that is thought
to be offensive
EUPHEMISM

Mild, polite, indirect



expressions that
replace words or
phrases that are
offensive to hear.
1. Departed instead of died EXAM
2. Ethnic cleansing instead of genocide
PLES
3. Collateral damage instead of accidental
deaths
4. Letting someone go instead of firing
someone
5. Put to sleep instead of euthanize
6. Pregnancy termination instead of
abortion
7. On the streets instead of homeless
Passed Away Died

Correctional Jail
Facility

Big-boned Heavy or
overweight

Powder my nose Go to the restroom

Domestic Engineer Maid

Vertically- Short
challenged

We have to let you Fire you

go

I misspoke I lied
12

Twinkle, twinkle
Little star
How I wonder
What you are
Guess the word

A post trophy

Apostrophe
Apostrophe
the addressing of a usually
absent person or a
usually personified thing
rhetorically
APOSTROPHE

When a character in a


literary work speaks to an

object, idea, or someone
who doesn’t exist as if it’s a
living person.
APOSTROPHE

Dear Love, please

don’t shoot me with
your Cupid’s bow.
20

Jesus, Take
the Wheel.
Guess the word

Sin neck dough key

Synecdoche
SYNECDOCHE

Figure of speech wherein a



part is used to represent

whole or the whole for the
part.
SYNECDOCHE

New wheels – New car

The captain commands 100

sails! - ships
The strings were praised for their excellent
performance.
21

I am clearly confused!
Guess the word

Oak sea more on

Oxymoron
a short, apparently self-contradictory or
absurd expression.
OXYMORON

Combination of two


contradictory or opposite
words.
OXYMORON

Open secret
Found missing

Living Dead

Seriously funny
Seriously funny 😂
1. Act naturally 12.Only choice
2. Alone together 13.Open secret
3. Amazingly awful 14.Original copy
4. Bittersweet 15.Painfully beautiful
5. Clearly confused 16.Passive aggressive
6. Dark light 17.Random order
7. Deafening silence 18.Small crowd
8. Definitely maybe 19.Sweet sorrow
9. Farewell reception 20.True myth
10.Growing smaller 21.Walking dead
11.Jumbo shrimp 22.Weirdly normal
22

I must be cruel to be
kind.
23 Guess the word

Parade Acts!

Paradox
Paradox
a statement or proposition
that is also self-
contradictory that when
investigated or explained
may prove to be well
founded.
PARADOX

A statement that appears



to be self contradictory
or silly but may include
hidden truth.
PARADOX

I know one thing; that I

know nothing.
The beginning of the

end.
Syntactic Figure
of Speech
94
 C. SYNTACTIC

1. Chiasmus 5. Litotes
2. Anaphora 6. Imagery
3. Pun 7. Spoonerism
4. Allegory
9

I am awake. I am
strong. I am
ready.
Guess the word

Anna four, ah!

Anaphora
ANAPHORA
 A rhetorical term for when a
writer or speaker usually repeats
the same beginning of a sentence
several times.
ANAPHORA

 Love at a wrong place, at the

wrong time, and at the wrong
person.

 Lincoln’s “we cannot live, we

cannot consecrate, we cannot
hallow.”
14

They don’t care how much

you know until they know
how much you care.

- Judy Joice
Guess the word

Key as miss

Chiasmus
Chiasmus

Reversing the order

of words in the
second of two
parallel phrases.
Chiasmus

Let us never negotiate

out of fear, but let us
never fear to negotiate.
6

I could hear the popping and

crackling as mom dropped the
bacon into the frying pan, and
soon the salty, greasy smell
wafted towards me.
Guess the word

He may jeer he

Imagery
IMAGERY

Term used for language



and description that

appeals to our five senses
to create images in the
mind of the readers.
IMAGERY

Glittering white, the blanket

of snow covered everything
in white.
7

All animals are equal but

a few are more equal than
others. (Society)

- Animal Farm, George Orwell

Guess the word

All egg gory

Allegory
ALLEGORY

A piece or art or literature



in which characters,
things, or happenings
have a hidden symbolic
meaning
16

I have to have this

operation. It isn’t very
serious. I have this tiny
little tumor in my brain.
Understatement
 When you represent something as
less than what it is.

 In this figurative language, the

issue is minimalized or made to
seem less important or severe.
Understatement

“It’s rained a bit more

than usual.” Describing
an area being flooded by
heavy rainfall.
17

I can’t get no satisfaction.

- Rolling Stones
Guess the word

Lie toe tease

Litotes
LITOTES

Understatement that uses

double negatives.
A positive statement expressed

by negating the opposite

expression.
LITOTES

Not bad – Very

good!
I am not unlike my

mother.
18

Your backyard is
a Garden of
Eden.
Guess the word

All you Shawn

Allusion
ALLUSION

When the author or the text



makes an indirect reference to

a person, place, thing, or idea
of historical, cultural, literary,
or political significance.
ALLUSION

Nice work, Einstein.

Sports is my Achilles heel.
19

The pen is mightier

than the sword.
Guess the word

Met Tony me

Metonymy
METONYMY

 A literary device in which one

representative term stand for
something else.
 Replaces the name of a thing with

the name of something else that is

closely related to it.
METONYMY

 Crown – Royal person

 Ears – for giving attention

 Hand – to help

 Suit – business man/woman

24

BIND MLOWN
Guess the word

Is poon near is him?

Spoonerism
SPOONERISM

Practice of interchanging the

first letters of some words to
create a humorous setting.
Originated by Dr. William

Spooner
SPOONERISM

Flesh and Blood

Blesh and Flood

Wedding bells

Bedding wells
`Pun
    \ ˈpən \
the usually humorous use of a
word in such a way as to
suggest two or more of its
meanings or the meaning of
another word similar in sound
PUN

a joke exploiting the



different possible meanings

of a word or the fact that
there are words that sound
alike but have different
meanings.