Explore 12 English words about talking about language with pronunciation, definitions and example sentences.
(grammar) a letter or a set of letters that are added to the end of a word to alter its meaning and make a new word
"The suffix '-ing' turns the verb 'to play' into the noun 'playing.'"
"A suffix is a meaningful unit of language attached to the end of a word to create a derivative"
(grammar) a letter or a set of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to alter its meaning and make a new word
"A prefix changes word meaning."
"The prefix 'un-' is commonly added to words to indicate negation or the opposite."
each of two or more words with the same spelling or pronunciation that vary in meaning and origin
"Right is a homonym of write."
"The words bear meaning both an animal and to carry something are examples of a homonym."
a word or phrase that is not formal or literary and is used in everyday conversations
"That is a colloquialism we use."
"'Gonna' is a common colloquialism for 'going to' in informal American English."
a person who can speak or understand multiple languages
"A polyglot speaks many languages."
"Being a polyglot helped her communicate easily during her travels across Europe."
a word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word
"NASA is the acronym for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration."
"An acronym is a pronounceable word formed from the initial letters of a multi-word name"
the shortened form of a word, etc.
"'Dr.' is the standard abbreviation for the title 'Doctor.'"
"The abbreviation 'ASAP' is commonly used in business emails."
a word or expression that is used instead of a harsh or insulting one in order to be more tactful and polite
"'Passed away' is a softer euphemism for 'died' in polite conversation."
"Using a euphemism can make difficult conversations much easier to handle."
the use of the same letter or sound at the beginning of the words in a verse or sentence, used as a literary device
"Alliteration repeats the same sound."
"The phrase Peter picked pickled peppers contains alliteration because several words start with the same sound."
the ability to deliver a clear and strong message
"Her natural eloquence won her every debate at the university."
"His eloquence captivated the entire audience during the speech."
(grammar) a word coming before a noun or noun phrase to specify its denotation
"This is a determiner word."
"In the sentence, 'a' and 'the' are common examples of a determiner."
a system used to communicate with deaf people that involves using hands and body gestures instead of words
"She knows sign language well."
"Many schools now teach sign language as part of their curriculum."
Learn all 12 words in this list with spaced repetition
Start learning with Mnimi