Comparison workshop

SyntaxversusDictionWhat's the Difference?

Diction concerns selected words; syntax concerns their arrangement into phrases and sentences.

Read the pair

How They Differ

First idea

Syntax

Syntax is the arrangement and relationship of sentence elements.

versus

Second idea

Diction

Diction is the choice and pattern of words.

See the signal

Examples

Syntax

Across the field ran the child.

Diction

The report calls layoffs a workforce adjustment.