I. What is Diction?

Diction (pronounced DIK-shun) refers to word choice and phrasing in any written or spoken text.
Many authors can be said to have their own “diction,” because they tend to use certain words more
than others or phrase things in a unique way. In fact, every author (including you) has developed a
unique diction!

Diction can also mean “pronunciation,” but we’ll ignore that definition for now since this article is
mainly about writing, not speaking.

II. Examples and Explanation

Literally everything ever written is an example of diction! But here are a few particularly interesting
examples.

Example 1

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. (Psalms 23:4)

The King James Bible has a very distinctive diction, using words like “yea” and “thy.” Many of these
terms were fairly standard at the time the King James version was originally written, but nonetheless
they are easily recognizable today as “biblical” diction.

Example 2

Is your writing as transparent as a mixture of comminuted particles of rock with water of varying
consistency? Or is it as clear as mud? (Graham Hopkins, The Write Stuff)

Graham Hopkins’ article on unclear writing opens with this wonderful example of how diction
changes the way we read sentences. The two phrases mean exactly the same thing (“clear as mud”),
but the first version uses all kinds of long words and overly complex phrases to express this idea.
Hopkins’ point was to show how needlessly complex diction can detract from the quality of a piece
of writing.

III. Types of Diction

There are as many types of diction as there are writers, and there will never be a complete list of all
of them. Moreover, all these different styles vary along multiple variables, such as formal/informal,
simple/complex, and modern/archaic. The most basic distinction, however, is between formal
diction and informal diction.

A. Formal Diction

When you are writing an essay, dissertation, business letter, or other formal communication, it’s
important to use formal diction. That is, you should avoid contractions (isn’t, don’t) and
colloquialisms (slang). It’s also important to make sure that your grammar and word usage are
“textbook” correct, since mistakes in this category can make your work look sloppy or careless.

B. Informal Diction

In many contexts, it’s fine to use informal diction. This includes personal emails to people you know
well, and certain creative projects. (Most modern novels are written with a fairly informal diction, as
opposed to older novels, which tended to be more precise and formal.) Informal diction is
sometimes referred to as “vernacular,” which means “everyday speech.”

IV. The Importance of Diction

Diction is the main thing that sets the tone of a piece. If your diction is formal, then the piece as a
whole will come across as formal; if it’s quirky, then your writing will seem quirky, and so on. Diction
doesn’t have any specific rhetorical purpose – it just creates the overall “sense” of your work.

In novels and short stories, diction can also help you craft a portrait of your characters. The way
someone talks tells us a lot about them, and good authors use this to their advantage in character-
creation. For example, a highly educated character would be more likely to use arcane words and
complex sentence structure, while a more down-to-earth character would avoid such diction.
Similarly, a younger character would be more likely to use slang than an older one.