27 Figures of Speech with Examples A figure of speech is a mode of creating a great effect in words. It is stylistic devices that bring clarity in writing, vividness in ideas and beauty in expression. In order to express the words or phrases in a better way, we use figures of speech. It may be a simile, metaphor, personification, etc. There are numerous figures of speech. The number may cross the hundred. However, these are some important types which oftenly used in a language.