Rhetorical terms · AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Diction
Also called: Word choice
Diction: A writer's word choice, including the level of formality, connotation and specificity of the words used.
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What it means
Diction covers which words a writer chooses and why. Formal or informal, abstract or concrete, technical or plain, positive or negative in connotation: each choice shapes tone and how the audience reacts. Two words with the same dictionary meaning can carry very different associations, such as thrifty and stingy.
Analyzing diction means explaining the effect of a specific word choice, often by comparing it with the more neutral word the writer could have used.
Example
A writer calls a tax increase an 'investment' while an opponent calls it a 'burden.' The policy is the same; the diction frames it as either a choice with future benefits or a weight imposed on citizens.
On the exam
SAT words-in-context questions test precise meanings; AP Lang and AP Lit essays reward explaining why a particular word fits the purpose.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- ConnotationThe emotional or cultural associations a word carries in addition to its literal, dictionary meaning.
- ToneThe writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through diction, syntax and detail.
- SyntaxThe arrangement of words, phrases and clauses in sentences, including sentence length, order and structure.