Diction and Connotation

Huh?

Diction Diction has to do with the author’s word choice.

What words are he/she choosing to get his/her point across?

Denotation: This is the LITERAL meaning of a word. Dictionary definition

Connotation: Ideas or feelings that a word creates inside the reader.

Levels of Diction: Formal Informal Slang/Colloquial

HOW DOES DICTION AFFECT TONE?

Levels of DictionFormal: Elevated/archaic

Informal: Standard language

Slang/Colloquial: Low diction (ultra informal)

If you were addressing your boss in an email, you would most likely use…

If you were sending a text to your girlfriend/boyfriend, you would most likely use…

If you were talking to your parents, you would most likely use…

Connotation

You may live in a house, but we live in a home.

The denotation (literal meaning) of home and

house = roughly “a dwelling place”

What do you think of when you hear…

House HomeMaybe… Maybe…

**Roof **Comfort

**Structure **Love

**Place where people **Security

live **Privacy

**Warmth

Think about this: What do you think it means when realtors use the word home more frequently than they do house?

Positive and Negative Connotation

Negative NeutralPositive

Chick WomanLady