eye dialect
"Eye dialect" is a literary tool used to represent speech patterns and accents through nonstandard spelling, highlighting social or regional differences.
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Definition
C1Literature
(literary)A writing technique using nonstandard spelling to depict a character's speech, indicating their regional or social background.
Example
- The author used eye dialect to show the character's Southern accent.
- In the novel, eye dialect helps readers hear the distinct voices of different characters.
C2Linguistics
(technical)A method of spelling words to imitate the pronunciation of a particular dialect or accent.
Example
- Linguists study eye dialect to understand how written language can represent spoken variations.
- Eye dialect often exaggerates certain sounds to make the accent more noticeable in text.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "eye dialect":