What term describes a writer's word choice?

What term describes a writer's word choice?

• A. Diction
• B. Imagery
• C. Hyperbole
• D. Biography

Answer: (A)

Diction is the term for a writer’s word choice. It includes the specific vocabulary an author selects, the level of formality, and the connotations each word carries. Diction shapes tone, mood, and meaning because the same idea can feel formal, intimate, harsh, or playful depending on the words chosen. For example, describing a character as “slim” versus “thin” versus “gaunt” changes how readers picture them, even though the core idea is the same—the connotations of each word guide that image. Imagery refers to the mental pictures created by language, but those pictures come from the words the author chooses—diction. Hyperbole is exaggeration for emphasis, not the overall word choice, and biography is about a life story, not how words are chosen.

Diction is the term for a writer’s word choice. It includes the specific vocabulary an author selects, the level of formality, and the connotations each word carries. Diction shapes tone, mood, and meaning because the same idea can feel formal, intimate, harsh, or playful depending on the words chosen. For example, describing a character as “slim” versus “thin” versus “gaunt” changes how readers picture them, even though the core idea is the same—the connotations of each word guide that image. Imagery refers to the mental pictures created by language, but those pictures come from the words the author chooses—diction. Hyperbole is exaggeration for emphasis, not the overall word choice, and biography is about a life story, not how words are chosen.