Denotation
and
Connotation
Denotation
Denotation: The dictionary definition;
a word’s literal meaning only. Not emotions
or feelings are associated with the word.
Ex: The teacher walked into the classroom.
This example does not have any hidden
meaning. A teacher simply walked into a
classroom.
Now, you try!
Write a
sentence
that only
uses words
with
denotation.
Connotation
Connotation- A word’s emotional meaning;
suggestions and associations that are
connected to a word.
Words can be positive, negative, or neutral. Words
can also connote specific feelings or emotions.
Ex: The eerie fog hovered in front of the
abandoned house.
What words in the sentence above do you believe
create connotation? What connotation is created?
Connotation
The eerie fog hovered in front of the abandoned
house.
The words eerie, hovered, and abandoned all create
connotation in the sentence above.
•Eerie creates a negative and creepy feeling
•Hovered creates a negative feeling. It also makes you
think that the fog lingering somewhere it is not wanted.
•Abandoned creates a negative feeling. It also connotes or
suggests the idea of being unwanted or left behind, which
is negative.
Connotation
•Fog can also create connotation.
•Like any word, fog has a denotative
meaning, which is a cloudlike layer of
small water droplets.
• But, fog is often associated with a
spooky feeling because it can look ghost
like and it can also cover or hide things.
The smiling educator
strolled into the
peaceful classroom.
Connotation What words create
connotation in the
sentences above?
What kind of
connotation is
created?
The cranky
schoolmarm
stormed into the
noisy, chaotic circus.
The smiling educator The cranky schoolmarm
strolled into the stormed into the noisy,
peaceful classroom. chaotic circus.
All words All words
connote a kind, connote a strict,
happy teacher and crabby teacher and
environment a stressful
environment
Positive Negative
words words
Now, you try!
1. Re-write the original Original Sentence:
sentence using words with
connotation. The teacher
walked into
2. Then, trade with a
partner and see if you can the classroom
both identify the words with
connotation.
Time left?
3. Discuss the connotation Write another sentence
you were trying to achieve with your partner and
and whether or not your trade with another
partner correctly identified group repeating the
steps on the left.
it.
Let’s Practice!
Write a sentence about a topic of your choice that
shows connotation. Then, on the backside of your paper,
write the words you used to create connotation. Then,
list the connotation you wanted to create
Ideas:
•A storm •A baseball game
•A substitute teacher •A carnival
•A new student •A birthday present
•The school cafeteria from Aunt Maude
•The school library •A hockey game
Discuss with a Partner
Trade your sentence with a partner and
see if you can both identify the words
with connotation.
Discuss the connotation you were trying
to achieve and whether or not your
partner correctly identified it. Make
any necessary adjustments so the
connotation is clear.
When we communicate, either verbally or in
Why is this writing, we want to our ideas to be clear. If you
important? use words that have a different connotative
meaning than you intended, your message will be
different than what you meant to say
For example:
•My mom is economical when she goes grocery shopping.
-OR-
•My mom is cheap when she goes grocery shopping.
What is the difference between the connotation of these
two sentences?
Choose The denotative meaning of
your Words economical and cheap both
Wisely! mean to “save money.”
BUT, the connotative meaning of economical is
positive. It connotes being careful with one’s
money.
The connotative meaning of cheap is negative. It
connotes being stingy or miserly similar to
Ebenezer Scrooge.
How does connotation impact a text?
* Connotation can help to create mood
and tone in a text!
•Choosing positive or negative words
can help an author convey the tone
in his or her message.
•Connotative words can help to create
the proper mood in a story. A happy,
depressing, lonely, spooky, eerie, or
creepy mood can be conveyed with the
correct word choice.
Applying what you Learned
• Create a list of synonyms for rain.
• Then, categorize them by positive,
negative, and neutral denotation.
• Write a sentence about a welcome
spring rain using words with positive
connotation.
• Then, write a sentence about a
dangerous summer storm using
words with negative connotation.
Applying what you Learned
• Create a list of synonyms for snow.
• Then, categorize them by positive, negative,
and neutral denotation.
• Write a sentence about a snow day using
positive words from the perspective of a
student getting the day off.
• Then, write a sentence about a treacherous
winter storm using words with negative
connotation.
Invitation by Shel Silverstein
Identify words
with
If you are a dreamer, come in, connotation
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, and explain the
connotation.
a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean
buyer. . .
If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to
spin.
Come in!
Come In!
Writing Task
• You are going to write a description of two
houses based on images of the home.
* Use words with connotation to match
the mood of the picture.
* Be descriptive and include details about the
surrounding area.
Connotation
Share your description with a
partner.
• Identify the words that have
connotation.
• What feelings or emotions do the
words connote?
• Does the connotation correspond, or
match, the mood in the picture?
• Can you think of different words that
would create a stronger connotation?
Remix
Now, you are going to write a new
description of the second house.
But, this time you will write the description
as a real estate agent who is trying to sell
the house. Use positive words to showcase
features of the house that could possibly be
seen as a deterrent to buyers.
Let’s Recap!
• What is denotation?
• What is connotation?
• Why is it important to
know about denotation
and connotation?
