complex

• plosive

  consonant sounds made by letters like d, t, p and b
• fricative

  consonant sounds made by hissing sounds like f, z, s and v
• sociolect

  language used by a special social group that helps distinguish that groip from another
• collocation

  two or more words that typically go together as a set phrase 'bread and butter'
• irregular

  words, typically nouns and verbs, which do not follow typical

  patterns grammatically, the plural of mouse is mice, mouse - irregular noun
• deixis

  lexical items that rely on context to convey meaning
• presupposition

  the assumed knowledge or truth of a statement
• dysphemism

  deliberately harsh or offensive way of saying something (e.g 'croaked' instead of 'died')
• syntax

  arrangement of words to create sentences
• litote

  understatement for emphasis
• paradox

  contradictory statement
• portmanteau

  a blend of two words to make a new one (e.g 'brunch')
• epistrophe

  repetition of the same word at the end of a clause
• tag question

  a short question added to a statement (e.g 'you're coming, aren't you?)
• hedge

  uncertainty