Figure of Speech

You might have heard the expression “it’s a figure of speech,” but what does that really mean? A figure of speech  might be words with a literal meaning, a certain arrangements of words, or a phrase with a meaning that is something entirely other than that of the words themselves. Figures of speech can be refreshing and fun.

List of Figure of Speech and Examples

Alliteration

This is a very common figure of speech that involves using words that begin with the same sound. 

For instance, “Sally sells sea shells by the seashore” is alliteration – and try saying it fast to see how difficult it is! It is often used in advertising slogans to create something catchy that more people will remember. 

Metaphor

The use of metaphor compares two things that are not alike and finds something about them to make them alike.

“My heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill” from a book by William Sharp is a good example of metaphor. Some writers try to use this style to create something profound out of comparing two things that appear to have nothing at all in common. 

Simile

In this figure of speech, two things are compared that are not really the same, but are used to make a point about each other. 

“Life is like a box of chocolatesThis is often used to make an emotional point about something. The difference between simile and metaphor is that you can obviously see words "like" in the sentence. 

Onomatopoeia

This is the use of a word that actually sounds like what it means. Good examples include “hiss” or “ding-dong” or “fizz.” These words are meant to describe something that actually sounds very much like the word itself. This is a trick often used in advertising to help convey what something is really like. 

Personification

This is a way of giving an inanimate object the qualities of a living thing. “The tree quaked with fear as the wind approached” is an example; “The sun smiled down on her” is another. This can sometimes be used to invoke an emotional response to something by making it more personable, friendly and relatable.