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Plain diction

Diction
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Simple, unembellished word choice used to convey clarity or directness

Detailed Definition
Plain diction refers to the use of simple, unadorned, and direct language in poetry, avoiding archaic terms, elaborate metaphors, or syntactic complexity; it aims for clarity and emotional honesty, as championed by the Imagists and many contemporary poets seeking authenticity over ornament.
Example
Example in poetry:
Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” uses plain diction: “Good fences make good neighbors”; William Carlos Williams’s “This Is Just To Say” apologizes plainly for eating plums; George Orwell’s poetic prose in “A Hanging” models plain diction; Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese” begins plainly: “You do not have to be good.”
Additional Notes
Plain diction uses simple, unadorned language to convey clarity and sincerity; foundational to clear verse and conversational poetry—avoids poetic adornment.
Also Known As
Simple diction unadorned language straightforward speech clear wording conversational language Literal expression
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