This document discusses levels of diction, or word choice, that authors use in their writing. It identifies 5 levels from formal/high to informal/low: 1) Formal/high diction uses sophisticated language without slang for highly educated audiences. 2) Neutral/standard diction uses language for well-educated audiences in publications and business. 3) Neutral/informal diction includes personal language for familiar audiences. 4) Low/non-standard diction includes slang, dialects, and deficient language for specific audiences. The document provides examples to illustrate each level and types of diction like concrete, abstract, general, specific, denotation, connotation, literal, and

1. LEVELS OF DICTION
Jo I. Bartolata
Bicol University

2. What is Diction?
• word choice of the author
• general character of the
language used by the author
• plays a very important role in
creating tone and voice
appropriate for your audience
and writing objective

3. Levels of Diction
(Levels of Articulation)
I. High/Formal /elevated – for highly
educated audience. Ex. Peruse
II. A. Neutral/ Standard – for well-educated
audience. Ex. Examine
B. Neutral/ Informal –for a familiar
audience. Ex. Look over
III. Low/Non-standard – for a specific
audience. Ex. chekidawt

4. HIGH OR FORMAL
• usually contains language that creates an elevated
tone. It is free of slang, idioms, colloquialisms,
and contractions. It often contains polysyllabic
words, sophisticated syntax, and elegant word
choice.
• appropriate for formal occasions
• used when addressing a highly educated audience.
This includes sermons, scholarly journals, etc.
• found in publications such academic publications.

5. II.A. NEUTRAL/
STANDARD
• used when addressing a well-educated audience.
• commonly this is the level used for college
papers, mass publications, and business
communication
• refers to the level of diction employed in most
college-level writing assignments as well as
newspapers and general interest journals.
• maintains a professional tone but tries to avoid
highly technical or specialized terms and
concepts.

6. II.B. NEUTRAL/ INFORMAL
• used when addressing a familiar audience.
• grammatically correct but conversational
• includes personal letters, emails, and
documents with conversational or
entertaining purposes
• may also include "slang" language, which
may be used to create a specific "flavor" as
in sports casting or novels.

7. LOW/NON-STANDARD
• Language deficient in some
form or manner
• diction outside of conventional
or standard use
• Includes: vulgarity/pedestrian,
slang, colloquial, dialect, cliché,
jargon

8. EXAMPLES OF DICTION
FORMAL STANDARD INFORMAL NON-
STANDARD
Edify enlighten Let know ?
Opt Choose Pick-out ?
Beguile Mislead Dupe ?

9. TYPES OF DICTION
1. Slang refers to a group of recently coined words
often used in informal situations; develops from
the attempt to find fresh, colorful, exaggerated, or
humorous expressions.
Ex. Emo, frenemy, my bad, awesomity,
greycation, bromance
2. Vulgarity is language deficient in taste and
refinement; coarse, base (any swear word). Ex.
Fuck-ass, pakshet, difotah

10. TYPES OF DICTION
3. Colloquial expressions are nonstandard,
often regional, ways of using language
appropriate to informal or conversational
speech and writing. Ex. Anyhow,
gotcha, gramps, stats, info, guys, kid

11. TYPES OF DICTION
4. Jargon consists of words and expressions
characteristic of a particular profession, or
pursuit. Ex. gigabyte, logic board, CPU,
LCD = computer jargon
5. Dialect is a nonstandard subgroup of a
language with its own vocabulary and
grammatical features. Ex. Philippine
English as dialect of English language

12. TYPES OF DICTION
8. Cliché is figurative language used so
often that it has lost its freshness and
originality.
Ex. Beauty is useless but character is the best.
Honesty is the best policy.
No man is an island.
Time is gold.
Love is like a rosary that is full of
mysstery.

13. TYPES OF DICTION
9. Concrete diction consists of specific words that
describe physical qualities or conditions. Ex. spoon,
table, velvet eye patch, nose ring, sinus mask, green, hot,
walking
10. Abstract diction refers to language that denotes
ideas, emotions, conditions or concepts that are
intangible. Ex. love, success, freedom, good, moral,
democracy, chauvinism, Communism, feminism,
racism, sexism.

14. TYPES OF DICTION
11. General refers to groups. Ex. Furniture,
people, institutions, houses
12. Specific refers to individuals. Ex.
Rocking chair, Filipinos, hospitals, nipa
hut

15. TYPES OF DICTION
13. Denotation is the exact, literal definition of a
word independent of any emotional association or
secondary meaning. Ex. snake (reptile), house,
mother, loose (not tight)
14. Connotation is the implicit rather than explicit
meaning of a word and consists of the
suggestions, associations, and emotional overtones
attached to a word. Ex. Snake ( evil), home,
stepmother, loose (unbcoming)

16. TYPES OF DICTION
15. Literal is accurate language, w/out
embellishment ; means straightforward or
factual; When someone says “I mean
that literally,” they mean “exactly” -- just the
facts!
16. Figurative is language used for a pictorial
effect ; it’s imaginative; it conveys not just the
facts but an idea. It encourages us to use our
imaginations.

17. CHOOSING THE LEVEL
First, decide for whom you're writing.
Because you are writing for a certain audience,
they will have particular expectations about the
level of diction you will choose. Choose the level
most appropriate for your audience (in collegiate
writing, standard level diction is used most
often).

18. CHOOSING THE LEVEL
• Second, determine your purpose.
Some possible purposes may be to inform, to
persuade, to illustrate, to analyze, or to entertain.
For each of these purposes, you may choose to use
a different level of diction.

19. Sources:
http://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Colloqu
ial
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/compos
ition/abstract.htm
http://www.etap.org/demo/englishhs/instruction5.h
tml
http://www.limcollege.edu/Using_Appropriate_Dic
tion.pdf
http://writingcenter.byu.edu/handouts/style/diction
.htm