diction
/ˈdɪkʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪkʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdik-shən/ (ame, mw)
diction — noun
1. how clearly and precisely someone says each sound and word when they speak or si
how clearly and precisely someone says each sound and word when they speak or sing, judged by how easy it is to follow.
Christopher's diction was so clear that every word reached the back row of the theatre.
possessive + clear diction; common collocation
Voice coaches in Taipei trained Minh to improve her diction before the radio audition.
collocation: improve one's diction
The opera singer's diction was so precise that the audience understood every Italian word.
Owen failed the news anchor interview because his diction became unclear when he was nervous.
Élise practised tongue twisters every morning to sharpen her diction.
- enunciation
more technical; focuses on hitting each consonant
- articulation
broader; covers the physical movement of mouth and tongue
- elocution
older, formal; the trained art of public speaking
- mumbling
unclear, low-volume speech
文法句型
good/poor/clear diction
have + adjective + diction
用法筆記
Subject is typically the speaker or singer, modified by adjectives like clear, crisp, precise, sloppy, or slurred. Distinguish from sense 2 (which is about which words a person picks); sense 1 is about the physical clarity of saying them.
常見錯誤
2. the particular words a writer or speaker picks and the style created by those ch
the particular words a writer or speaker picks and the style created by those choices, especially in literature or careful speech.
Reema admired the elevated diction in nineteenth-century English novels.
literary register: elevated diction
The poet mixed everyday diction with old religious terms to surprise his readers.
contrast: everyday vs formal diction
Professor Yael told the class that the diction of Toni Morrison's novels rewards close reading.
Caio adjusted the diction of his cover letter to sound more formal.
Hip-hop artists often blend street diction with literary references in a single verse.
- vocabulary
the set of words available, less about style than diction
- wording
everyday; the specific way something is phrased
- phrasing
leans toward how words are combined rather than which are chosen
文法句型
formal/poetic/everyday diction
the diction of + writer/work
用法筆記
Typical contexts are literary analysis, essay feedback, and discussion of register. Often paired with descriptors of register (formal, colloquial, archaic, poetic, plain). Distinguish from sense 1: a singer can have great diction (clear sounds) while a novelist has interesting diction (word choices).