Paronomasia

Paronomasia is a stylistic figure consisting in the deliberate bringing-together of words similar in sound but different in meaning (paronyms) for the sake of intensifying the sense and creating a sound-sense play. Unlike the pun, aimed primarily at a comic effect, paronomasia more often serves the lyrical emphasis of the semantic link between words similar in sound, generating an effect of unexpected semantic echo. It activates attention to the sound form of the word, reinforces its expressiveness and memorability. Paronomasia is widely used in poetry, aphorisms, proverbs, titles and advertising slogans. This figure is closely linked to sound-writing and paronymy and belongs to the means of the sound-sense organisation of artistic speech.