Definition
Diction is about the words you pick. Not just whether they're correct, but whether they're right - right for the character, right for the moment, right for the feeling you're trying to create. "House" and "home" mean nearly the same thing, but they land differently. "Said" and "proclaimed" convey the same action at vastly different volumes. Diction is where precision meets personality in your prose.
Why It Matters
Every word is a choice, and every choice has consequences. Strong diction means your reader feels exactly what you intend without having to explain it. Weak diction - reaching for a thesaurus word when a simple one would hit harder, or defaulting to vague language when specifics would sing - creates distance between your story and the reader's experience. The difference between good writing and great writing often comes down to a handful of word swaps per page.
Types of Diction
Famous Examples
Hemingway's diction is almost aggressively simple - short words, common vocabulary, plain nouns and verbs. The restraint is what gives it power. Nothing hides behind fancy language.
Nabokov's diction is extravagant, playful, and precise. He picks words for their sound as much as their meaning, creating prose that's as much music as narrative.
Hurston masterfully shifts between the formal diction of the narrative prose and the rich vernacular diction of her characters' dialogue, creating two distinct but harmonious registers.
Common Mistakes
If you wouldn't use a word in conversation, think twice about putting it on the page. 'Utilize' rarely improves on 'use.' Clarity beats impressiveness every time.
"She walked quickly" is weaker than "She rushed." Find the one right word instead of propping up a weak word with modifiers.
If a character uses "gonna" in one sentence and "nevertheless" in the next, something feels off. Keep each character's vocabulary consistent with who they are.
The first word is often the most generic. Push past it. Not 'nice' but 'kind' or 'generous' or 'gentle.' The more specific the word, the sharper the image.
Try It Yourself
Take a paragraph from your current project and circle every adjective and adverb. For each one, try to replace the modified noun or verb with a single, more precise word that doesn't need the modifier. "Walked slowly" becomes "ambled." "Very angry" becomes "furious." Count how many words you cut. Your prose just got tighter.
Writing Analytics highlighting overused words and vocabulary patterns, helping you spot where your diction has gone on autopilot.
Find your crutch words instantly
Novelium's Writing Analytics scans your manuscript for overused words, repeated phrases, and vocabulary patterns you might not notice on your own. See exactly where your diction gets lazy so you can sharpen every sentence.