Figurative Language

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What is a simile?

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A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'as slow as a sloth'.

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What is an idiom?

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An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning. For example, 'piece of cake' means something is very easy.

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What is a metaphor?

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A metaphor is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things without using 'like' or 'as'. For example, 'the sun broke through rifts of clouds, turning the whole forest to gold'.

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What is a homophone?

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Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings, such as 'to', 'two', and 'too'.

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What is a homograph?

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Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and may have different pronunciations, such as 'lead' (to guide) and 'lead' (a type of metal).

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What is personification?

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Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities are given to animals, objects, or ideas. For example, 'the wind whispered through the trees'.

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What is alliteration?

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words. For example, 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers'.

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What is onomatopoeia?

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Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the natural sound of a thing. Examples include 'buzz', 'bang', and 'sizzle'.

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What is hyperbole?

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Hyperbole is an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, such as 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse'.

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What is a pun?

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A pun is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term or similar-sounding words for humorous effect, like 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana'.