Diction

Like we talked about in High, Middle, and Low Style, you probably use different types of language depending on who you are talking to.  Diction is similar to this.  According to Grammar-Monster.com, diction is the choice of words you use (phraseology) and how you say them (pronunciation).

Here are some phraseology examples to help explain more.

• To your friends, you might say "Let's get this sorted out".
• To your colleagues, you would probably say "Let's solve this problem".
• To your bosses, your word choice might be "Let's overcome this challenge".

To help clarify pronunciation, here is an example.

• When you see the word "read", you may speak it as "reed" or "red".
• Continuing with the word "read", you may say "wed" or "weed", in which case a person may say your diction is poor because you are not pronouncing the words correctly.

According to penandpage.com, a diction error is a word choice error and this can happen in two ways.

• First, you can choose a word that doesn't mean what you think it means.  Homonym errors are a type of word choice error that occur when you improperly use their/there/they're, allusion/illusion, its/it's, or other similar mistakes.  Ignorance errors are when you use a word that doesn't exactly say what you are trying to portray.  "Anxious" and "eager" are commonly misused as synonyms but they actually have two very different meanings; anxious means to be nervous or fearful, while eager means to be desirous.  Similar form errors occur when you use the wrong word that sounds the same as the actual word.  "Already" and "all ready" are misused often and writers mistakenly use one rather than the other, as well as "awhile" and "a while".
• Second, you can choose a word that doesn't fit the context appropriately.  This occurs when you are speaking in a situation or writing to a certain audience that calls for a specific type of language.  For instance, you may be speaking at a lecture to your bosses and other important members of your company, in which case you will use more formal language than when you are talking with friends in a comfortable setting.  Making sure to use the right language and word choice for the situation is important in maintaining reputations and making your point to those you are speaking to.

To learn more about diction errors and test your knowledge on diction errors by taking a quiz, click here.





"What is Diction?" Grammar-Monster.  n.d.

"Diction." Pen and Page.  n.d.