AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP English Language Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary for AP English Language

Terms : Hide Images
5096120247Ad Hominem ArgumentAttacks the opposing speaker or another person rather than addressing the issues at hand0
5096120248AllegoryFictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts1
5096120249AlliterationThe repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words2
5096120250AllusionA reference, usually oblique or faint, to another thing, idea, or person3
5096120251AmbiguityUncertain or indefinite; subject to more than one interpretation4
5096120252AnalogyThe correspondence or resemblance between two things that are essentially different5
5096120253AnecdoteA short story used to illustrate a point the author is making6
5096120254AntecedentEvery pronoun refers back to a previous noun or pronoun7
5096120255AntithesisAn opposition or contrast of ideas that is often expressed in balanced phrases or clauses8
5096120256ApostropheA figure of speech in which an absent person or personified object is addressed by a speaker. This is the rhetorical definition of the word. Here is an example, Carlyle's "O Liberty, what things are done in thy name!" is an example of apostrophe.9
5096120257AppositiveA word or phrase that follow a noun or pronoun for emphasis or clarity10
5096120258AssonanceA type of internal rhyming in which vowel souds are repeated11
5096120259AsyndetonWhen the conjunctions (such as "and" or "but") that would normally connect a string of words, phrases, or clauses are omitted from a sentence12
5096120260AtmosphereThe emotional feeling -or mood- of a place, scene, or event13
5096120261AttitudeThe feelings of a particular speaker or piece of writing toward a subject, person, or idea14
5096120262ContrastOppositions15
5096120263Colloquial LanguageSlang or common language that is informal16
5096120264ConnotativeThe interpretive level of a word based on associated images rather than the literal meaning17
5096120265Deductive ArgumentThe process of moving from a general rule to a specific example18
5096120266DictionAn author's choice of words19
5096120267DidacticWriting which has the purpose of teaching or instructing20
5096120268ElegyA work that expresses sorrow21
5096120269EllipsesIndicated by a series of three periods; shows that words have been omitted22
5096120270EthosRefers to generally ethics, or values23
5096120271EuphemismA mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh, indelicate, or simply less pleasant idea24
5096120272ExpositionWriting or speech that is organized to explain25
5096120273Figurative LanguageAll uses of language that imply an imaginative comparison26
5096120274ForeshadowingA purposeful hint placed in a work of literature to suggest what may occur later in the narrative27
5096120275HyperboleA figure of speech in which exaggeration is used to achieve emphasis28
5096120276ImageryA mental picture that is conjured by specific words and associations29
5096120277Inductive ArgumentCreating a case by providing specific examples and drawing a conclusion based on the evidence they provide30
5096120278IronyWhen a situation produces and outcome that is the opposite of what is expected31
5096120279JuxtapositionWhen two contrasting things are placed next to each other for comparison32
5096120280LogosThe use of reason as a controlling principle in an argument33
5096120281MetaphorA figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared directly34
5096120282MetonymyA figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it35
5096120283MoodThe prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event36
5096120284OnomatopoeiaAn effect created by words that have sounds that reinforce their meaning37
5096120285OxymoronTwo contradictory words in one expression38
5096120286ParadoxA seeming contradiction that in fact reveals some truth39
5096120287ParallelismA literary technique that relies on the use of the same syntactical structures40
5096120288ParodyAn effort to ridicule or make fun of a literary work or an author by writing a comic imitation of the work41
5096120289PathosA sympathetic feeling of pity or compassion evoked by an artistic work42
5096120290Periodic SentencePresents the main clause at the end of the sentence, for emphasis43
5096120291PersonaThe character created by the voice and narration of the speaker of a text44
5096120292PersonificationA figure of speech in which ideas or objects are described as having human qualities or personalities45
5096120293Point of ViewThe particular perspective from which a story is told46
5096120294PunA play on words47
5096120295RepetitionThe reiteration of a word or phrase for emphasis48
5096120296RhetoricThe art and logic of a written or spoken argument to persuade, to analyze, or to expose49
5096120297Rhetorical StrategyThe way an author organizes words, sentences, and overall argument in order to achieve a particular purpose50
5096120298Rhetorical DevicesThe specific language tools that an author uses to carry out a rhetorical strategy (diction, imagery, or syntax)51
5096120299Rhetorical QuestionA question that is asked for the sake of argument52
5096120300SatireTo ridicule or mock ideas, persons, events, or doctrines53
5096120301Selection of DetailThe specific words, incidents, images, or events the author uses to create a scene or narrative54
5096120302SimileA commonly used figure of speech that compares one thing with another using the words "like" or "as"55
5096120303SpeakerThe narrator of a story, poem, or drama56
5096120304SyllogismA form of deductive reasoning in which pieces of evidence are used to create a new CONCLUSION. [An instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion (e.g., all dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs ).]57
5096120305SymbolSomething that stands for something else58
5096120306SynonymA word that has the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another word59
5096120307SyntaxThe way words are arranged in a sentence60
5096120308TensionA feeling excitement and expectation the reader or audience feels because of the conflict, mood, or atmosphere of the work61
5096120309ThemeThe central idea62
5096120310ToneAttitude63
5096120311UnderstatementWhen an author assigns less significance to an event or thing than it deserves64
5096120312ZeugmaWhen a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them65
6087685978Ad hocformed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only (think of a committee that just meets for one purpose only, and probably only occasionally)66
6414784273WarrantExplanation of why or how the data supports the claim; the underlying assumption that connects your data to your claim.67

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!