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

AP English Language Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary for AP English Language

Terms : Hide Images
13971899798Ad Hominem ArgumentAttacks the opposing speaker or another person rather than addressing the issues at hand0
13971899799AllegoryFictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts1
13971899800AlliterationThe repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of words2
13971899801AllusionA reference, usually oblique or faint, to another thing, idea, or person3
13971899802AmbiguityUncertain or indefinite; subject to more than one interpretation4
13971899803AnalogyThe correspondence or resemblance between two things that are essentially different5
13971899804AnecdoteA short story used to illustrate a point the author is making6
13971899805AntecedentEvery pronoun refers back to a previous noun or pronoun7
13971899806AntithesisAn opposition or contrast of ideas that is often expressed in balanced phrases or clauses8
13971899807ApostropheA figure of speech in which an absent person or personified object is addressed by a speaker9
13971899808AppositiveA word or phrase that follow a noun or pronoun for emphasis or clarity10
13971899809AssonanceA type of internal rhyming in which vowel souds are repeated11
13971899810AsyndetonWhen the conjunctions (such as "and" or "but") that would normally connect a string of words, phrases, or clauses are omitted from a sentence12
13971899811AtmosphereThe emotional feeling -or mood- of a place, scene, or event13
13971899812AttitudeThe feelings of a particular speaker or piece of writing toward a subject, person, or idea14
13971899813ContrastOppositions15
13971899814Colloquial LanguageSlang or common language that is informal16
13971899815ConnotativeThe interpretive level of a word based on associated images rather than the literal meaning17
13971899816Deductive ArgumentThe process of moving from a general rule to a specific example18
13971899817DictionAn author's choice of words19
13971899818DidacticWriting which has the purpose of teaching or instructing20
13971899819ElegyA work that expresses sorrow21
13971899820EllipsesIndicated by a series of three periods; shows that words have been omitted22
13971899821EthosRefers to generally ethics, or values23
13971899822EuphemismA mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh, indelicate, or simply less pleasant idea24
13971899823ExpositionWriting or speech that is organized to explain25
13971899824Figurative LanguageAll uses of language that imply an imaginative comparison26
13971899825ForeshadowingA purposeful hint placed in a work of literature to suggest what may occur later in the narrative27
13971899826HyperboleA figure of speech in which exaggeration is used to achieve emphasis28
13971899827ImageryA mental picture that is conjured by specific words and associations29
13971899828Inductive ArgumentCreating a case by providing specific examples and drawing a conclusion based on the evidence they provide30
13971899829IronyWhen a situation produces and outcome that is the opposite of what is expected31
13971899830JuxtapositionWhen two contrasting things are placed next to each other for comparison32
13971899831LogosThe use of reason as a controlling principle in an argument33
13971899832MetaphorA figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared directly34
13971899833MetonymyA figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it35
13971899834MoodThe prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event36
13971899835OnomatopoeiaAn effect created by words that have sounds that reinforce their meaning37
13971899836OxymoronTwo contradictory words in one expression38
13971899837ParadoxA seeming contradiction that in fact reveals some truth39
13971899838ParallelismA literary technique that relies on the use of the same syntactical structures40
13971899839ParodyAn effort to ridicule or make fun of a literary work or an author by writing a comic imitation of the work41
13971899840PathosA sympathetic feeling of pity or compassion evoked by an artistic work42
13971899841Periodic SentencePresents the main clause at the end of the sentence, for emphasis43
13971899842PersonaThe character created by the voice and narration of the speaker of a text44
13971899843PersonificationA figure of speech in which ideas or objects are described as having human qualities or personalities45
13971899844Point of ViewThe particular perspective from which a story is told46
13971899845PunA play on words47
13971899846RepetitionThe reiteration of a word or phrase for emphasis48
13971899847RhetoricThe art and logic of a written or spoken argument to persuade, to analyze, or to expose49
13971899848Rhetorical StrategyThe way an author organizes words, sentences, and overall argument in order to achieve a particular purpose50
13971899849Rhetorical DevicesThe specific language tools that an author uses to carry out a rhetorical strategy (diction, imagery, or syntax)51
13971899850Rhetorical QuestionA question that is asked for the sake of argument52
13971899851SatireTo ridicule or mock ideas, persons, events, or doctrines53
13971899852Selection of DetailThe specific words, incidents, images, or events the author uses to create a scene or narrative54
13971899853SimileA commonly used figure of speech that compares one thing with another using the words "like" or "as"55
13971899854SpeakerThe narrator of a story, poem, or drama56
13971899855SyllogismA form of deductive reasoning in which pieces of evidence are used to create a new conclusion57
13971899856SymbolSomething that stands for something else58
13971899857SynonymA word that has the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another word59
13971899858SyntaxThe way words are arranged in a sentence60
13971899859TensionA feeling excitement and expectation the reader or audience feels because of the conflict, mood, or atmosphere of the work61
13971899860ThemeThe central idea62
13971899861ToneAttitude63
13971899862UnderstatementWhen an author assigns less significance to an event or thing than it deserves64
13971899863ZeugmaWhen a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them65

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!