Principles of Diction
Agenda on September 30
PPT presentation
 Talk on Word roots
 Parsing a few “unusual” words
 Questions

What is diction?
Diction is simply word choice.
 It involves “pulling down” the right word at the
right place in writing and speaking.

Why is diction so important?
Words “pack” a thought, concept, or image.
 Words can operate in several ways.

 An abstraction behind the concrete definition.
○ This is how Greek works.
 Words form vivid images or emotional feelings.
○ This is how Hebrew works.
Why is English so hard?
One word can have several meanings.
 One concept can have many words that
give a certain aspect to that concept.
 Sometimes we hear a word in another
context and get confused.

 She likes to cruise.
○ Is this on a boat, or in a car with cruise
control? Or does she let things ride?
Finding the Right Word

This is a science.
 Denotation is the dictionary definition.

This is an art.
 Connotation is the author’s intended meaning.

The meaning needs to get across.
Remembering Words
We remember the words that make an
impression on us.
 The strongest impression carries meaning.
 Words must “accomplish” something.
 “Idle words” do nothing. Avoid saying these.

Some guidelines

“Choose only ways that are firm”
 The word must fit in its context.
 Be sure to spell it right.

Make it appropriate for the audience.
 Know who you are writing for.

Be concise.
 If you can do the job with five words instead
of fifteen, use five.
 People remember users of few words.
Some places to go

Read, read, read
 Good newspapers and magazines
Text in the King’s English, not gobbledygook.
 Crosswords and Scrabble.
 Become familiar with Latin and Greek roots,
prefixes and suffixes.
