Figures of Speech: Hyperbole, Puns, Clichés and Portmanteaus
Quick Answer
A figure of speech uses words in a special way to create an effect. Hyperbole exaggerates, a pun plays with two meanings, a cliché is a phrase people have used too often, and a portmanteau joins two words into one (breakfast + lunch = brunch).
Learn Them One by One
Native speakers use these all the time, in jokes, adverts and everyday chat. Take one at a time: what it is, three examples and the mistake to avoid.
Step 1: Hyperbole
Hyperbole is when you exaggerate on purpose to make a strong point. It is not meant to be true — it is meant to show how you feel.
Examples:
- “I have told you a million times!” (You did not really say it a million times. You said it many times.)
- “This bag weighs a ton.” (It does not really weigh a ton. It is just very heavy.)
- “I am dying of laughter.” (You are not really dying. You are laughing very hard.)
Common mistake
Thinking hyperbole is the same as lying
✗ “Hyperbole is not true, so it is just lying.”
✓ Hyperbole is not lying. Everyone knows it is an exaggeration. When you say “I could eat a horse,” nobody thinks you will actually eat a horse. Lying is meant to fool people. Hyperbole is meant to express a feeling.
How to remember: If someone says something so extreme that nobody could believe it, do not take it seriously — they are using hyperbole to show how they feel. Other figures of speech to explore: simile, metaphor, and irony.
Step 2: Pun
A pun is a joke that plays with words. It works because one word has two meanings, or because two words sound the same. For example: “I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough” — “kneaded” sounds like “needed.”
Examples:
- “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” (The word “flies” means “moves fast” in the first sentence, and “small insects” in the second.)
- “A bicycle cannot stand on its own because it is two-tired.” (“Two-tired” sounds like “too tired.”)
- “I am reading a book about anti-gravity. It is impossible to put down!” (“Put down” means both “stop reading” and “place on a table.”)
Common mistake
✗ Thinking a pun is the same as any joke.
✓ A pun is a specific type of joke — it always plays with the meaning or sound of a word.
How to remember: When you hear a joke and the funny part is one word, ask yourself: “Does this word have a second meaning? Does it sound like another word?” If yes — that is a pun.
Step 3: Cliché
A cliché is a phrase or idea that people have used so many times that it is not interesting or original anymore. For example: “Everything happens for a reason.”
Examples:
- “Time heals all wounds.” (Waiting will make you feel better.)
- “Better late than never.” (It is good that you did it, even if it was late.)
- “Every cloud has a silver lining.” (Something good can come from a bad situation.)
Common mistake
Thinking a cliché means bad grammar
✗ “That phrase is a cliché, so it must be wrong.”
✓ A cliché is not a grammar mistake. The grammar is fine. The problem is that too many people use the same phrase, so it sounds unoriginal.
How to remember: Clichés are fine in speech, but avoid them when you write. If you have heard a phrase a thousand times, your reader probably has too.
Step 4: Portmanteau
A portmanteau is a word made by mixing parts of two words together. The new word has a meaning from both words.
br(eakfast) + (l)unch = brunch (a late morning meal)
Examples:
- sm(oke) + (f)og = smog (dirty air made from smoke and fog)
- mot(or) + (h)otel = motel (a hotel near a road for drivers)
- sp(oon) + (f)ork = spork (a spoon and fork in one)
Common mistake
Calling a compound word a portmanteau
✗ “Sunflower” is a portmanteau.
✓ “Sunflower” is a compound word. (sun + flower — both words are complete, nothing is cut)
How to remember: Ask yourself two questions. First: “Does this word come from TWO different words?” Second: “Are the words CUT and MIXED together?” If both answers are yes, it is a portmanteau.
Step 5: Alliteration
Alliteration is when words that are close together start with the same consonant sound. For example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” The “p” sound repeats at the start of many words.
Examples:
- “She sells seashells by the seashore.” (The “s” sound repeats.)
- “The big brown bear bit a banana.” (The “b” sound repeats.)
- “Dancing dolphins dove deep.” (The “d” sound repeats.)
Common mistake
Thinking alliteration is about the letter, not the sound
✗ “City cat” is alliteration because both words start with the letter C.
✓ “City” starts with an “s” sound. “Cat” starts with a “k” sound. These are different sounds, so this is NOT alliteration. But “cool cat” IS alliteration — both start with the “k” sound.
How to remember: Say the words out loud. Alliteration is at the start. Rhyme is at the end. If the beginning sounds match, it is alliteration.
Test Yourself: Figures of Speech
Choose an answer to see your feedback immediately. Your first answer counts towards your score.
1. Which sentence uses hyperbole?
2. “This suitcase weighs a ton.” What does this really mean?
3. “I used to be a baker because I kneaded dough.” — Why is this a pun?
4. Which sentence contains a pun?
5. Which of these is a cliché?
6. Why is “better late than never” a cliché?
7. “Brunch” is made from which two words?
8. Which of these is a portmanteau?
Keep Going — You Are Building Something
You can now name four figures of speech when you hear them. Next, look at irony: when what happens, or what someone says, is the opposite of what you expect.
Next lesson: Types of Irony: Understanding the Various Forms of Contrast in Literature
I’m Khamis Maiouf. I’m studying Health and Social Care and have completed Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Level 3 Hairdressing. I have taught ESOL in my community and helped students with GCSE English. I run English Teacher Site to help people learn and practise English.