ABSTRACT This study was conducted with the aim to examine the structural and functional features of understatements and hyperboles in Vietnamese and English political speeches in terms o
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Among all forms of human communication, language remains the primary tool for meeting our diverse needs It has persisted alongside humanity, evolving into a foundational mechanism for conveying information, negotiating, and coordinating actions In politics, language plays a central role, highlighting the strong link between linguistic practices and political life This relationship has attracted extensive attention from researchers seeking to understand how language shapes public discourse, policy, and power dynamics.
Language and politics are deeply connected, with political speech aimed at persuading audiences Rhetorical devices—used widely to make messages more engaging, forceful, and persuasive—play a central role in this dynamic As Harris (2017) notes, there are more than sixty rhetorical devices, and understatement and hyperbole exemplify how distortion can shape meaning: they imply something beyond the literal words and should not be taken at face value Because of their effectiveness, politicians frequently deploy these devices to capture attention and advance their communicative goals.
In discourse analysis, researchers have traditionally focused on the linguistic features of political speeches, with numerous studies examining rhetorical devices such as alliteration, metaphor, metonymy, rhetorical questions, repetition, and personification; however, understatements and hyperboles in political discourse have been comparatively underexplored Earlier work by Nguyen Uy Dung (2010) examined common stylistic devices in U.S presidential speeches and suggested a cross-language comparison with Vietnamese political rhetoric From an English-teaching perspective, employing rhetorical devices in instruction can improve how I convey intent and make lessons more engaging Consequently, I undertook a study titled “A study on understatements and hyperboles in Vietnamese and English political speeches” for my MA thesis, aiming to analyze how these stylistic features function in both Vietnamese and English political discourse and to contribute to the field of discourse analysis.
Aim and Objectives
This study aims to examine the structural and functional features of understatements and hyperboles in Vietnamese and English political speeches
To achieve this aim, the researcher tries to fulfill the following objectives:
- To identify and discuss the structural and functional features of understatements and hyperboles in English and Vietnamese political speeches
- To compare and contrast the structural and functional features of understatements and hyperboles in English political speeches and Vietnamese political speeches.
Research Questions
To achieve the above aim and objectives, the researcher answers the following questions:
1 What are the structural and functional features of the understatements and the hyperboles used in the investigated English and Vietnamese political speeches?
2 What are the similarities and differences in the structural and functional features of the understatements and the hyperboles between English political speeches and Vietnamese political speeches?
Scope of the Study
This study investigates the structural and functional features of understatements and hyperboles in Vietnamese and English political speeches, with the scope deliberately limited to these two rhetorical devices due to their strong persuasive power It seeks to compare and contrast how understatements and hyperboles operate in political rhetoric across the two languages Vietnamese speeches were gathered from politicians’ official websites, while English speeches were sourced from ukpol.co.uk, a reliable and up-to-date repository The sample comprises 40 speeches from Vietnamese politicians and 40 from English politicians published within the past six years, providing a balanced dataset for analysis The findings aim to illuminate patterns in the form and function of these devices and contribute to cross-lingual understanding of political rhetoric.
Harris’s theory (2017) of Rhetorical devices is used as a main theoretical framework in identifying and discussing hyperboles and understatements in political speeches.
Significance of the Study
By analyzing understatements and hyperboles used in English and Vietnamese political speeches, this study aims to identify the rhetorical devices politicians deploy to increase persuasion It seeks to illuminate how language can construct power and ideology, showing how strategic linguistic choices influence public perception and political legitimacy Ultimately, the work aims to raise awareness of the role of language in political communication and deepen understanding of how discourse can shape power dynamics.
This study advances literacy analysis both theoretically and practically, with a focus on understatements and hyperboles as core rhetorical devices It provides language learners with a solid foundation in rhetorical devices, especially understatement and hyperbole Moreover, the thesis offers valuable insights for readers interested in crafting political speeches and exploring rhetorical devices.
Although some work has examined rhetorical devices in political speeches and analyzed them through Functional Grammar, there are relatively few studies focusing specifically on understatements and hyperboles in English and Vietnamese political discourse Investigating the relationship between understatement and hyperbole sheds light on how these devices shape meaning, helping readers, scholars, and language users understand and convey political messages more accurately across languages.
Definition of terminology
Understatement: Harris (2017) defined understatement as a device which expresses an idea as less important than it actually is, either for ironic emphasis or for politeness and tact
Hyperbole: Harris (2017) defined hyperbole as follow “Hyperbole, the counterpart of understatement, deliberately exaggerates conditions for emphasis or effect”
Rhetorical devices, often called figures of speech, are linguistic techniques defined by Harris (2017) that use words in distinctive, unusual ways—whether through unusual word order or by conveying special meanings By shaping how ideas are presented and understood, these devices make language more memorable, expressive, and persuasive for readers and listeners.
Political speech is primarily an argument: a deliberate effort to give audiences reasons to think, feel, or act in a particular way, to motivate them, and to invite them to trust the speaker in uncertain conditions It aims to shape how people see situations while, in part, adapting to audiences by confirming their expectations and respecting their boundaries—even as it seeks to transform those attitudes over time (Jamieson, 1988).
Intended structure of the thesis
This thesis is organized into five chapters—Introduction, Literature Review, Research Methodology, Findings and Discussion, and Conclusion The Introduction presents the rationale, aims and objectives, research questions, scope, significance, and the overall organization of the study The Literature Review surveys relevant work and establishes the theoretical foundation, defining the key concepts and frameworks that underpin the study Chapter Three outlines the research approaches used to collect and analyze data to address the research questions Chapter Four reports the findings with illustrations, along with interpretation and discussion grounded in the theories and frameworks introduced earlier Chapter Five summarizes the major findings, draws conclusions and pedagogical implications, discusses limitations, and offers suggestions for future research.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature review
Advances in any field emerge from the cumulative work of prior scholars, and this is especially true for the analysis of rhetorical devices in political speeches The study progresses as researchers build on established theories, methods, and case studies to deepen our understanding of persuasion, tone, ethos, and argument structure Given the intricacy of political rhetoric, progress depends on recognizing how earlier findings illuminate current interpretation and testing new ideas against existing frameworks By tracing the lineage from classical rhetoric to contemporary discourse analysis, we see that breakthroughs come from refining and extending prior insights rather than from isolated novelty In this light, the field advances through continuous engagement with previous scholarship, careful evaluation of evidence, and situating today’s speeches within a broader intellectual tradition.
Charteris-Black (2005) argues that successful speakers in political contexts must appeal to audiences' preexisting attitudes and emotions When listeners feel their beliefs are understood and supported, speakers can connect the policy they advocate to those beliefs In presenting arguments, speakers should engage at an emotional level and adopt standpoints that appear morally credible The listener must also perceive the arguments as relevant to the issue at hand This effect cannot be achieved by language alone, although linguistic performance remains a key factor Charteris-Black (2005) notes that the impact of rhetorical strategies in political speeches often results from combining multiple techniques, making it valuable to study both individual strategies and their interactions.
Pham Thi Minh Phuong (2017) investigates how Hillary Clinton uses rhetorical devices in her speeches by analyzing ten addresses delivered from 2010 to 2016 The study centers on five devices—metonymy, repetition, irony, metaphor, and parallelism—and interprets their function within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) Using a mixed-methods approach that blends quantitative and qualitative analysis, the research provides an in-depth look at the stylistic choices that shape Clinton’s political rhetoric.
Rhetorical devices make political speeches far from the dry affairs many expect, rendering them more inspiring, impactful, and aesthetically engaging regardless of the device used The study confirms that situational context exerts a significant influence on how these devices are employed in political addresses The analysis could have been more compelling if it had compared Vietnamese politicians’ speeches with the target language to highlight cross-cultural differences In other corpus-based investigations, Obama and Rouhani’s UN speeches have been examined by Sharififar and Rahimi, illustrating how large linguistic datasets illuminate discourse strategies in high-pressure political settings.
Analyzed through Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics, the 2015 study examines transitivity and modality to show how two presidents' speeches embed ideology and power in political discourse The analysis reveals that Obama's language is simpler and more accessible than Rouhani's Across both addressers’ speeches, material processes—expressed as “doing” and “happening”—dominate other process types, underscoring the presidents’ activities and governing agendas, including what they have done and what they will do in the future.
Nguyen Thi Thuy (2020) investigated British and American political speeches through the lens of Systemic Functional Linguistics She collected 40 speeches delivered by American Presidents between 1982 and 2009 and a set of speeches by British Prime Ministers, using SFL to examine how language choices reflect power, stance, and social relations in political discourse.
From 1982 to 2011, the study applied Harris (2013) as its analytical framework to examine how metaphor, simile, and hyperbole function in conveying political messages in British and American speeches, and to compare their use through both quantitative and qualitative methods The findings show no difference in the effectiveness or role of these rhetorical devices in persuading audiences between British and American politicians, with the primary divergence appearing in the frequency of occurrence of these devices.
Only a targeted set of rhetorical devices was chosen for analysis in this study, focusing on how these devices function across different communicative contexts Rhetorical devices have been studied in areas such as print advertising, promotional discourse, classroom film, and political speeches, illustrating their broad applicability The dominant research method has been quantitative analysis, though many studies employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a more comprehensive view This mixed-methods orientation helps reveal patterns in usage and effectiveness of rhetorical devices across media, as noted by Ollikka.
A 2018 study applying Harris’s theory analyzes rhetorical devices—apostrophe, exemplum, repetition in its various forms, and metaphors—in 11 Conor McGregor press conferences from 2015–2017, concluding that McGregor uses these devices to attack opponents’ character, evoke emotion, and elevate himself; a separate 2015 study by Farrokhi and Nazemi examines metonymy, hyperbole, and metaphor in the New York Times and The Australian, finding metonymy as the most used device to represent one identity by another (for example using Washington or Moscow to refer to government), hyperbole as the second most common device to claim something is highly improbable or unreal and thereby boost importance, and metaphor as the least used device, typically employed by editorial writers to express opinion rather than report the news.
Aljadaan (2018) investigates hyperbole in relation to metaphor and irony, focusing on the similarities and differences among these rhetorical devices The study finds that hyperbole shares features with both metaphor and irony while remaining distinct from them In a separate study, Henkemans (2013) examines hyperbole as a stylistic device in argumentative discourse, showing that exaggeration can emphasize information that best serves the arguer’s aims and make their arguments appear stronger during the argumentation stage.
Alattar (2017) analyzes hyperbole in American electoral speeches through formal and functional lenses, examining three speeches by the winning candidate from the 2012 presidential election (Barack Obama) In the formal analysis, single-word hyperbole emerges as the most common realization In the functional analysis, emphasis and evaluation stand out as the central functions, suggesting that the intended impression on voters was constructed primarily through the combined effect of these devices.
Voltadewi (2014) investigates the form and function of hyperbolic expressions in online perfume advertisements, drawing on the theories of Claridge (2011), Harris (2013), and Wales (2001) as its framework The study finds that perfume advertisements consistently deploy hyperbolic language to convey their messages, with the single-word form being the most common hyperbolic expression The aim of this hyperbolic style is to make the advertisement more attractive, thereby increasing consumer interest and purchase intent.
Majed and Muhammad (2017) studied understatement in relation to overstatement in English Literary Letters, analyzing letters by Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats, Katherine Mansfield, Dylan Thomas, and Rupert Brooke, and concluded that both overstatements and understatements do not reflect the actual state of reality but instead present certain cases, moments, and moods through which writers express their ideas, feelings, and emotions Colston (1997) conducted two experiments to test how surprise is indicated by overstatement, understatement, and irony, finding that irony is more effective when events turn out unexpectedly and the characters’ expectations are explicit, whereas when expectations are not explicit and the outcome is negative, overstatement is more effective than irony and understatement.
Du Thi Trang Anh (2010) analyzed 600 editorial understatements from English-language papers—the New York Times and The Los Angeles Times—and Vietnamese outlets The Quân Đội Nhân Dân and The Nhân Dân to examine their syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic features in editorials The study found that understatements can be expressed by all parts of speech and arise at multiple structural levels, including noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, and adverb phrases In Vietnamese editorials, understatements were grouped into eight categories—expressions of poverty, gloomy state, conflict, difficulties, hostility, incapableness or weakness, homelessness, and danger—whereas English editorials were grouped into six categories—expressions of poverty, gloomy state, conflict, insaneness, incapableness or weakness, and danger.
While numerous studies have explored rhetorical devices across diverse discourse contexts and many have used political speeches to investigate linguistic features, there has been no comprehensive study of rhetorical devices in both Vietnamese and English political speeches Specifically, understatement and hyperbole have rarely been analyzed together This work appears to be the first to examine understatement and hyperbole under a particular classification framework, offering a new cross-language perspective on how these devices function in Vietnamese and English political discourse.
Harris (2017) as well as applied the combination of theories in the form and function of Claridge (2011), McCarthy & Carter (2004), Cano Mora (2006) and Du
Thi Trang Anh, (2010) This is why the research “A study of understatements and hyperboles in Vietnamese and English political speeches” is carried out.
Theoretical background
Charteris-Black (2016) defines political speech as a coherent stream of spoken language prepared for delivery to an audience on a political occasion, with two broad aims: influencing political decision making and sharing values Obeng (1977) characterizes political discourse as a terrain of conflicts and synergy, contestation and acquiescence, praise and dispraise, and delicate criticism alongside unmitigated support In political speeches, speakers employ a range of rhetorical devices to win audience support and belief.
Political language functions as both a tool of power and a target to be destroyed or encouraged Rozina (2009) notes that the features and purposes of political discourse vary across contexts Politicians often tailor their linguistic strategies when answering journalists, aiming to persuade voters to remain loyal to the party, boost turnout, sway floating voters, and cultivate broad political or social attitudes that bolster support for a given policy.
A study by Kenzhekanova (2015) identifies four features of political discourse: agonistic ability, aggressiveness, ideological character, and theatricality Agonistic ability denotes competitiveness that typically surfaces in parliamentary debates and pre‑election campaigns Aggressiveness is a central component of political rhetoric, used to demonstrate political force and to undermine the addressee’s status The ideological character reflects a system of social representations, group knowledge, beliefs, and opinions derived from shared values, norms, and interests, often connected to military contexts Theatricality shapes the images of politicians, influencing how they are perceived by the public.
Rhetorical analysis, as defined by Willihnganz (2008), examines how a text persuades readers to adopt its point of view He identifies two core foci: how the text communicates its message and the persuasive strategies it employs to influence the audience He notes that a rhetorical analysis should do more than restate what is said; it should illuminate the specific techniques and methods the text uses to communicate effectively.
Short (2007) outlines a practical framework for conducting rhetorical analysis: begin by thoroughly familiarizing yourself with the material, then craft a clear thesis statement, followed by organizing and articulating all identified rhetorical strategies around that thesis, and finally offer analysis of how those strategies function together—rather than merely summarizing—while also checking grammar and ensuring the text reads with smooth fluidity.
The strategies of persuasion mentioned by both Willihnganz (2008) and Short
Rhetorical devices are techniques used within rhetoric to influence audiences The Oxford English Dictionary describes rhetoric as language designed to influence people, sometimes not entirely sincere, or as the art of using language to entertain or persuade Understanding rhetoric is central to the term “rhetorical device,” since both focus on effective communication and persuasion The term “device” signals a method or category of expression rather than a strict lexeme, making rhetorical devices best understood as various modes of persuasion and effective communication.
Harris (2013) views rhetorical devices as practical tools you learn, practice, and refine by testing their effects and nuances, enabling you to express yourself more clearly He notes their purposes include drawing attention, clarifying your points, making claims more credible, and aiding recall He defines rhetorical devices as figures of speech that use words in special, unusual ways—either via unconventional arrangements or unusual meanings—a definition Harris revisits and expands in his 2017 work.
A handbook of rhetorical devices, together with Writing with Clarity and Style, presents a catalog of sixty devices, each with a precise description and an example to illustrate its use The author provides definitions for all the devices discussed in the study, helping readers identify and categorize them and apply these rhetorical techniques more effectively.
This study focuses on a narrow range of rhetorical devices, selected because of the author's personal interest and their strong persuasive potential The analysis centers on understatement and hyperbole, illustrating how these devices shape perception and strengthen argument through controlled nuance and exaggerated emphasis.
Understatement is a rhetorical tool defined by Harris (2013) as expressing an idea as less important than it actually is, while Majed (2017) argues that the core idea is saying less and meaning more In communication and rhetoric, understatement serves diverse functions—from concealing anxiety and signaling casualness to expressing modesty and tact, avoiding offense, and even adding emphasis An illustrative example is: "She gave birth to me, raised me, and provided for me from infancy—maybe I owe her one."
(2.1) the speaker is minimizing how indebted he is to his mother He probably owes her a lot more than “ one ”
There are eight functions mentioned in Du Thị Trang Anh's (2010) thesis which are showing politeness, emphasizing the enormity of a problem, avoiding hurting the hearer’s feeling and making the hearer sulky, criticizing someone (especially the people with higher rank and position in the society) subtly, being a subtle form of sarcasm, functioning as a metaphor, and making the problems less serious And people usually use down toners to minimize the importance, negative words to express the affirmative content, or “modal verb” + “bare-infinitive” or “the perfect form of infinitive” to avoid direct statement or to answer indirectly
According to Osȩkowska-Sandecka (2016), understatements can be used positively or/and negatively Politicians use understatements positively for more politeness or for political correctness issues in order not to harm people Understatements are used negatively for the purpose presenting ideologically required view
Rajaa’ M Flayih (2009) conducted a study on understatements in selected passages of the New Testament, mainly drawn from the books of Mark, Luke, Acts of the Apostles, and Corinthians The research performed a syntactic and semantic analysis to reveal how understatement operates within these texts and to clarify its stylistic and interpretive implications for biblical discourse.
He found out understatements in negation form were highlighted And communicative functions of understatements are to moderate or mitigate, to demphasize and to show egative emotion
An illustration of understatement in linguistics is the noun phrase "a little bit out of line" in the sentence "I suppose that getting into a fistfight with the principal was a little bit out of line." In this usage, the speaker downplays how inappropriate the action was, signaling that fighting the principal is far worse than simply being out of line.
Another example is in the statement “It turns out that climbing Mount
Everest is not so easy” (2.3) The speaker is understating how difficult it is to climb the Earth’s highest mountain It is very hard to climb Mount Everest
Hyperbole is defined as an expression that is more extreme than its ontological referent (Aljadaan, 2018) Quintilian, as cited in Henkemans (2013), describes hyperbole as a tasteful exaggeration of the truth—a rhetorical device that can swing in two directions: presenting things as bigger or smaller than they are Harris (2013) likewise characterizes hyperbole as the counterpart of understatement, deliberately exaggerating conditions for emphasis or effect A sample illustrates how hyperbole operates by amplifying either magnitude or significance to draw attention to a point.
Sumary
This chapter surveys the literature on rhetorical devices in political speeches, including studies conducted in English and Vietnamese It then outlines the theoretical background—covering political rhetoric, understatement, and hyperbole—and concludes by introducing the chapter’s theoretical framework.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research approach
This study aims to identify and discuss the structural and functional features of understatements and hyperboles in English and Vietnamese political speeches, and to compare these features across the two languages Nicolas Walliman (2006) states that a quantitative approach is appropriate for collecting numerical data and for testing hypotheses, which supports the first objective by enabling a numerical synthesis of the forms and functions of hyperboles and understatements Conversely, the qualitative approach relies more on language and the interpretation of linguistic meaning, focusing on theory development rather than hypothesis testing Therefore, the study uses quantitative methods to describe and quantify linguistic devices, while qualitative analysis provides deeper interpretation that can lead to the generation of new theories.
Drawing on a 2011 framework, this study adopts a mixed-methods design that combines quantitative analysis for robust cross-language comparisons with qualitative analysis for in-depth rhetorical examination of English and Vietnamese political speeches By exploring the forms and functions of speeches in both languages, the research seeks a deeper understanding of language phenomena, demonstrating that qualitative methods are well suited for interpretation while quantitative methods provide the primary means of measurement in this study.
Using a quantitative approach, the study analyzes the occurrence percentage of each rhetorical device in political speeches drawn from authorized sources The researcher first collects these speeches, then reads them to identify data that meet the research criteria Hyperbolic and understated statements are marked, and the corresponding phrases are categorized in Excel Finally, the results are summarized in tables and visualized with pie charts to enable further analysis.
Relying solely on a quantitative approach is insufficient for capturing the complexity of the situations and addressing the research questions The study therefore integrated data analysis with qualitative methods, applying this mixed approach in the later phases after all examples had been classified and analyzed according to predefined frameworks The examples were examined in greater depth and compared between English and Vietnamese to yield richer, cross-language insights.
Data Collection and Analysis
To support the study’s aim, the researcher analyzes political speeches as data To compare the use of understatements and hyperboles in Vietnamese and English political discourse, speeches from Vietnamese and UK politicians were selected due to the similarities in their political systems The internet serves as a convenient data collection method, providing rapid access to a broad corpus of speeches, and Walliman (2006) confirms that the internet rapidly expands information sources.
80 political speeches over five minutes were collected—40 in English and 40 in Vietnamese—downloaded, transcribed from video, and then coded (e.g., E1 for the first English speech) with date and total word count, from which two corpora were built for 2016–2021: an English political speech corpus and a Vietnamese political speech corpus; after transcription, transcripts were proofread and analyzed to identify understatements and hyperboles using Harris (2017), with the analysis supported by Claridge (2011), Cano Mora (2006) and Du Thi Trang Anh (2010); hyperbolic expressions were defined as words, phrases, clauses, numerical hyperbole, the role of the superlative, comparisons and repetition and were grouped into three basic sentence levels—single word, phrase and clause—with numbers, superlatives, comparisons and repetition also considered, where repetition of a speaker’s word is categorized as a single word and a superlative as a phrasal hyperbole; understatements were analyzed in the same categories, and the functions of hyperbole were drawn from Cano Mora (2006) while understatements’ functions followed Du Thi Trang Anh (2010); the theoretical frameworks are synthesized as Table 3.1, and the final results consist of lists of extracted sentences containing understatements and hyperboles, with all instances entered into Microsoft Excel for easy counting.
Table 3.1: Framework for analyzing data
2 Emphasizing the enormity of a problem
3 Avoiding hurting the hearer’s feeling and making
4 Criticizing someone subtly (especially the people with higher rank and position in the society)
5 Being a subtle form of sarcasm
Table 3.2 Data on the corpus of the English political speeches
No Speeches Politician Date range No of words
No Speeches Politician Date range No of words
Table 3.3 Data on the corpus of the Vietnamese political speeches (The VC)
No Speeches Politician Date range No of words
No Speeches Politician Date range No of words
Validity and reliability
Speeches analyzed in this study were drawn from active, publicly accessible websites that provide authentic, verifiable data rather than fabricated examples, which ensures high data reliability In addition, these data have been posted since their initial publication, guaranteeing ongoing availability and traceability for verification and reuse.
Although the study was conducted in 2016, its approaches are still current and appropriate The study employed robust methods to ensure validity and reliability, beginning with evidence-based analysis and incorporating statistical data and frequency analysis before drawing conclusions This process effectively assures the study's validity Additionally, Harris's (2017) framework for data analysis is well recognized and widely accepted, reinforcing the credibility of the findings.
Summary
This section provides a concise overview of the research methods used in the study, detailing the data collection and data analysis procedures By outlining the methodological framework, it clarifies how the study’s findings were generated and how the discussions are grounded in the data, thereby enhancing transparency, rigor, and the credibility of the results.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Overview of Hyperboles and Understatements
Figure 4.1: Hyperboles and Understatements in Vietnamese Political Speeches
HYPERBOLES AND UNDERSTATEMENTS IN VIETNAMESE POLICAL SPEECHES
Figure 4.2: Hyperboles and Understatements in Vietnamese Political Speeches
Figure 4.3: Hyperboles and Understatements in English and Vietnamese Political
Figure 4.1 shows that the Hyperboles group used significantly more hyperbolic language than the Understatements group in Vietnamese political speeches Interestingly, this same relationship is observed in English political speeches, indicating a consistent pattern of hyperbole usage across both languages.
HYPERBOLES AND UNDERSTATEMENTS IN ENGLISH
OVERVIEW OF HYPERBOLES AND UNDERSTATEMENTS IN POLITICAL SPEECHES
Vietnamese political speeches as seen in Figure 4.1 and 4.2 It is apparent from Figure 4.3 that politicians in English use more hyperboles and understatements in their talks than Vietnamese politicians.
Hyperboles in English and Vietnamese political speeches
Hyperbole is a rhetorical device that makes someone or something appear far bigger or better than it actually is Recognizing hyperbole in speeches and texts helps readers understand the speaker's or writer's intent and persuasive effect In essence, any word or expression can function as hyperbole when it is overstated or exaggerated to serve a particular purpose.
Hyperboles can be found in single words, phrases or clauses
4.2.1.1 Forms of hyperboles in English
Table 4.1: Forms of hyperboles in English
Forms of hyperboles in English %
Table 4.1 shows that single-word hyperboles are the most common pattern in English political speeches, making up 55.2% of the data, while phrasal hyperboles appear with 177 instances, representing 44% of the total Clausal hyperboles are the least frequent, at 0.7% These findings suggest that shorter hyperboles, especially individual words, are among the most productive strategies for constructing this feature, as they are less complex than other syntactic patterns and may be easier to produce, process, and retain due to their little or no internal structure (Claridge, 2011, p 46).
Compared with other formal realizations of hyperbole, which occur less frequently—perhaps because they are longer, more complex, and require more effort from the speaker—the data show a dominant presence of phrasal hyperboles Claridge attributes this dominance to their greater multifunctionality and higher likelihood of conventionalization The discussion also highlights single-word hyperbole in English as a separate focus.
Hyperbole in discourse tends to appear as single-word forms, predominantly among adjectives and adverbs Such single-word hyperbole carries the sole exaggerated content of an utterance, and its meaning collapses if the word is omitted An illustrative case is Alok Sharma’s remarks at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue on 06.05.2021, where he stated, “Today, I have the unique honour of being the only COP President-Designate to welcome ministers to the Petersberg Dialogue two years in a row” (4.1) The adjective unique in the phrase “the unique honour” serves to heighten the sense of his distinction as he welcomed ministers, exemplifying how a single word can drive hyperbolic meaning in political rhetoric.
During the Petersberg Dialogue, held for the second consecutive year, the speaker expressed high appreciation for the opportunity and urged that we make full use of the moment from today through Glasgow The piece notes that removing hyperbole makes a key emphasis disappear, illustrating how hyperbolic language—whether a strong noun like “everything” or a forceful verb—bolsters meaning; for instance, Anne‑Marie Trevelyan’s 1 November 2018 remarks include “This will ensure long-term solutions that use technology to reach everyone,” which overstates outcomes to resonate with listeners, and “Without the Royal Navy’s day-to-day invisible work, our economy would be profoundly affected,” where the adverb “profoundly” amplifies impact It also points to the trend of using single verbs to convey hyperbolic meaning and notes the category “Phrases conveying hyperboles in English.”
Phrasal hyperbole is a linguistic device that blends words to produce exaggerated meaning, and it occurs most often in noun-phrase and adjective-phrase forms, with noun-phrase and adjective-phrase hyperboles significantly outpacing verb- and adverb-phrase versions In a dataset, noun-phrase hyperboles reach 17.4% and adjective-phrase hyperboles 15.2%, while adverb-phrase and verb-phrase hyperboles are 7.2% and 4.2% respectively Notable examples include Boris Johnson’s “the single biggest crisis” to describe the Covid struggle—an instance of noun-phrase hyperbole using a superlative to emphasize scale—despite it not necessarily being the absolute biggest in his life Another instance is Nigel Huddleston’s “I am not in a position to answer every single one of his questions at the moment…,” which foregrounds the requests and sets expectations An adjective-phrase hyperbole appears in Johnson’s “I am more certain than ever that this is a struggle that humanity will win,” used to reassure audiences amid pandemic uncertainty, underscoring confidence in future disease prevention.
Never in our history has our collective destiny and our collective health depended so completely on our individual behaviour The speaker underscored the moment's uniqueness by framing it with an adverbial phrase, signaling how exceptional the situation is Yet some argue that similar high-stakes moments appear in other histories, and there is no definitive way to authenticate that such a situation has never occurred elsewhere This use of hyperbole in English highlights the weight of personal responsibility for public health and the well-being of society.
Clausal hyperbole is created only by the combined effect of items in two or more clausal constituents The only example of adj clausal hyperbole is in Christine Jardine’s text E11 on the UK Space Industry, where the adj clause “that is so important to all of us” evaluates the project and invites the hearers to share its significance A second form, noun clausal hyperbole, appears in Boris Johnson’s text E6, where the sentence “The tragic reality of having Covid is that your mild cough can be someone else’s death knell” is used to emphasise the danger, even though a cough is not ordinarily dangerous in a society with coronavirus infection; this usage warns listeners about endangerment.
4.2.1.2 Forms of hyperboles in Vietnamese
Table 4.2: Forms of hyperboles in Vietnamese
Forms of hyperboles in Vietnamese %
Vietnamese hyperbole forms follow a pattern similar to English, with single-word hyperbole dominating the corpus There are 193 instances of single-word hyperbole, making up 57.1% of all cases Phrasal hyperbole appears 144 times, accounting for 42.6% and ranking second in frequency Clausal hyperbole is the least common form, representing only 0.3% of occurrences Overall, single-word hyperbole is the most prevalent form conveying hyperbole in Vietnamese.
In single-word hyperbole, Vietnamese politicians tend to use adjectives most, with adjective hyperboles accounting for 31.4% Adverb hyperboles are the second most common type among single-word hyperboles, while single noun and verb hyperboles are much less frequent at 4.1% and 3% respectively An example from text V1 by Mr Do Van Chien uses a single adjective hyperbole: “The State has been paid special attention,” where the adjective modifies and emphasizes the state’s attention; without this adjective, the meaning would not be exaggerated, and the speaker aims to grab listeners’ attention and leave them with a more favorable impression To illustrate single adverb hyperbole, text V12 provides another example.
Rhetoric in Vietnamese public discourse often relies on hyperbole to signal nationwide momentum around digital transformation For example, Mr Nguyen Manh Hung states that “the perception of the whole society about digital transformation has changed dramatically,” with the adverb dramatically underscoring the rapid pace and broad awareness across society In addition, Nguyen Phu Trong’s remarks deploy nationwide scope, such as “Today, in the joyful and exciting atmosphere, the whole country …” to signal a momentous event, while his speech V21 on January 21, 2121 states “The whole country are striving for …” to emphasize collective effort Together these noun and verb hyperboles centered on “the whole country” amplify the sense of national significance and mobilization in Vietnamese rhetoric about major developments.
Speaking of phrasal hyperboles, noun phrase had the highest occurrence at
Across the analyzed political speeches, there are 52 occurrences of hyperbolic phrasing, accounting for 15.4% of the total; adverbial phrasal hyperboles are the least used at 3%, while adjective phrasal and verb phrasal hyperboles appear at 13.6% and 10.7%, respectively An illustration of noun phrasal hyperbole is found in Le Minh Khai’s May 6, 2021 speech, where he says “ngành Thống kê đã thực hiện tốt nhiệm vụ bảo đảm thông tin thống kê, thể hiện rõ 'con số biết nói'” (The Statistics sector has performed well the task of ensuring information statistics, clearly showing "a talking number"), emphasizing the effectiveness of statistics; because we all know that numbers cannot speak, this overstatement enhances the audience’s appreciation of the Statistics sector A similar hyperbole in adjective form appears in Nguyen Phu Trong’s December 12, 2018 speech: “công cuộc xây dựng nông thôn mới đạt nhiều kết quả đáng ghi nhận” ("New rural construction has achieved many remarkable results"), where omitting the adjective phrase would weaken the highlight; the same speech also uses a verb phrase hyperbole: “Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh hết sức coi trọng vai trò của nông dân” ("President Ho Chi Minh fully appreciated the role of farmers"), underscoring the importance of farmers Pham Binh Minh’s December 7, 2020 speech provides an example of adverbial phrase hyperbole: “Hội nghị được tổ chức vào một thời điểm rất đặc biệt và ý nghĩa” ("The conference was held at a very special and meaningful time"), emphasizing the event’s exceptional timing These instances illustrate how Vietnamese political rhetoric deploys noun, adjective, verb, and adverbial phrasal hyperboles to intensify meaning and persuade listeners.
Clausal hyperbole is exemplified by the statement "Vietnam has the conditions that many countries do not have" (4.19), spoken by Nguyen Manh Hung on 28 January 2021 This quoted line demonstrates how a hyperbolic clause can frame a nation's conditions as exceptional The attribution to Nguyen Manh Hung and the date anchor the example in political discourse, illustrating how rhetorical devices function in public statements. -**Support Pollinations.AI:** -🌸 **Ad** 🌸Powered by Pollinations.AI free text APIs [Support our mission](https://pollinations.ai/redirect/kofi) to keep AI accessible for everyone.
This clause exaggerated the advantageous condition of Viet Nam and made the listeners feel more confident
4.2.1.3 Similarities and Differences in forms of hyperboles in English and Vietnamese political speeches
Table 4.3: Similarities and Differences in forms of hyperboles in English and
Forms of hyperboles in English Forms of hyperboles in Vietnamese
Forms of hyperboles in English Forms of hyperboles in Vietnamese
The most striking finding from the data comparison is that hyperboles appear in similar forms across English and Vietnamese political speeches Both languages show the highest share of single-word hyperboles, with adjectives and adverbs making up the majority, while nouns and verbs constitute only a small minority in both English and Vietnamese campaigns The second most common form in English political speeches is phrasal hyperboles, a pattern that is mirrored by Vietnamese speeches as well Clausal hyperboles are used less frequently in both languages Taken together, these results suggest a link between the structural complexity of hyperboles and their usage in political discourse: the more complex the hyperbole form, the less it tends to appear in speeches.
Contrary to earlier findings, there are notable differences in the hyperbolic forms used in English and Vietnamese political speeches Regarding phrasal hyperboles, English speeches exhibit a higher concentration of noun and adjective groups in phrases than of verb and adverb groups, whereas Vietnamese speeches show no significant difference between these two phrase components.
Understatements in English and Vietnamese political speeches
An understatement is a figure of speech in which a speaker or writer intentionally downplays the significance of a situation This technique relies on subtlety to convey meaning, often contrasting what is described with a lighter or less dramatic statement To analyze understatement comprehensively, one can examine its use across different forms, from single words and brief phrases to longer clauses By studying how these elements function individually and in combination, writers create contrast and emphasis, guiding readers to read beyond the surface level Understanding understatement helps readers recognize rhetorical nuance and appreciate how language shapes perception through deliberate understatement.
4.3.1.1 Forms of Understatements in English
Table 4.7: Forms of Understatements in English
Forms of Understatements in English %
As illustrated by Table 4.7, the most recurrent pattern of understatement expressions in English political speeches is phrasal understatement, accounting for 61.96% of the data The next most frequent category is single-word understatements, representing 31.52%—nearly half the share of phrasal understatement Clausal understatements are the least frequent, with a frequency of 6.52% The subcategory of single words conveying understatements in English highlights the contribution of single-word forms to understated rhetoric.
Across the analyzed data, single-word adverbs are the most common form of understatement, appearing 21 times (22.83%), followed by single adjectives in 6 cases (6.52%), while single nouns are the least frequent at 2.17% For example, in text E26, Anne-Marie Trevelyan uses understatement in the statement “However, sometimes, violence does happen…”, showing how a single-word adverbial form can temper a claim Such understated language can appear frequently to appease listeners, as seen in other instances, such as text E03 by Anne-Marie Trevelyan on 1 January.
2018 She said “His willingness to borrow “to invest”, as he calls it, means simply a new vast mountain of debt” (4.40) The Chancellor had a speech on finance and
Anne-Marie criticized how the finances were managed, noting that debt is a big deal with many downstream consequences The speaker's use of the adverb simply downplays the issue and adds an ironic edge to the critique This example shows how a single adjective can convey understatement in political rhetoric, as illustrated by Kwasi Kwarteng's speech when he begins with "Member for " indicating a understated framing through concise wording.
Doncaster North MP Edward Miliband’s first-week letter to reassure colleagues on workers’ rights uses the adjective enough as a polite hedge, while the speaker’s discomfort appears understated when his intentions are questioned A clearer example of understatement appears in Edward Leigh’s January 21, 2021 speech: the line about payments beginning in mid-July 2011, followed by the claim that “by the end of 2011, many of my affected constituents had not received a penny,” uses a single noun—“a penny”—to minimize the amount of compensation and highlight delays and lack of transparency In reality, workers would receive more than a penny, so the phrasing draws attention to the delay in policyholder payments and the opacity surrounding them Together, these instances show how understatements function as rhetorical tools in English political discourse about workers’ rights and payment policies.
From Table 4.7 above we can see that the understatements in verb phrase appeared significantly more than the other three groups which is noun, adjective and adverb phrasal understatements Understatements were noticeably higher in verb phrase form, at 26.09 % It can be seen that adverb phrasal, adjective phrasal and noun prasal hyperboles had approximate occurrences accounting for 10.87%, 11.96
Across speeches from 2018 to 2021, understatement appears in several forms—phrasal, noun-phrase, adjective-phrase, and adverbial-clause—used to calibrate praise, blame, or risk For example, Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s 1 January 2018 address uses phrasal understatement, subtly acknowledging the Chancellor’s support without fully conveying the depth of gratitude Jenny Jones’s 10 March 2021 text relies on noun-phrase understatement, describing offenses as “really minor” to downplay their severity, such as not paying a TV license Boris Johnson’s 22 September 2020 remarks employ adjective-phrase understatement with the “no less fatal than” construction, which dampens the sense of difference in the virus’s lethality John Healey’s 22 April 2021 speech provides an example of adverbial-clause understatement, adding hedging through the subordinate clause Together these instances show how ministers and MPs hedge statements to shape audience perception, illustrating a spectrum of linguistic techniques used in contemporary political rhetoric.
“ Perhaps in another era, we would have been tempted to leave it there” (4.46) The speaker downplayed the importance of time, trying to show politeness c Clauses conveying understatements in English
Clausal understatement, illustrated in Table 4.7, is a relatively rare device that appears in noun, adjective, and adverb clause forms, with a notable example being Christine Jardine’s 13 January 2021 remark: “To be fair, the Arcadia Group was perhaps already vulnerable before covid-19, and likewise Debenhams, but that is no consolation to the thousands of people who spend their time worrying about whether their jobs can be saved from the rubble of what were once some of the proudest names on our high streets, or whether they might be next,” a noun-clause understatement that uses politeness and cautious language to temper critique while discussing the pandemic’s impact; a second instance is found in text E12 of Jardine’s remarks on 13 April, which continues to employ understatement as a restrained rhetorical strategy in addressing economic risk and job security.
In 2021, she said that even if you accept that argument, which I do not, the proposal for a border tax is completely the wrong approach, showing how politeness can be signaled by adverbial clause understatement This is one of many examples of adjective-clause understatement used to soften critique, such as the phrase "Eventually, at the United Nations Human Rights."
As noted in 4.49, the Council and the Sri Lankan Government signed onto a mechanism, acknowledging that it required significant compromise from those who felt it did not go far enough and doubted the government's ability to deliver.
Ed Davey on 18 March 2021 in speech E17 Speaker used an adjective clause understatement to lessen their disagreement, and not to make listeners sulky and hurt
4.3.1.2 Forms of Understatements in Vietnamese
Table 4.8: Forms of Understatements in Vietnamese
Forms of Understatements in Vietnamese %
Table 4.8 shows that phrasal understatement is the most frequent form, accounting for 71% of occurrences Single-word understatement accounts for 69 cases, representing 27.5% of the total, while clausal understatement is the least frequent at 1.4% In Vietnamese, single words conveying understatements form a distinct category, reflecting the predominance of phrasal expressions overall.
An analysis of Vietnamese political discourse shows a pronounced reliance on adverbs and adjectives in single-word understatement, with adverbs at 10.1% and adjectives at 8.7% of all such usage, while single noun and single verb forms each account for 4.3% in the dataset A representative example of an adverbial form appears in the statement “To promptly encourage pupils, students, and ethnic minority youths to achieve excellent results in study, work, production and social activities,” attributed to Do Van Chien on the 29th.
December 2020 marks a case where he chose kịp thời (promptly) over đúng lúc (at the right time) to signal politeness, pairing the wording with encouragement that would be offered whenever performance was excellent; yet this instance understates how timely that encouragement should be A second example appears in Nguyen Lan Hieu's text V07 dated 31 November 2020, where he employs a negative form of a synonym for "difficult," a choice that does not fully capture the true difficulty of the situation Together these instances illustrate how lexical choice, timing, and negation shape nuance in Vietnamese expressions and affect interpretive meaning in linguistic analysis.
Change is difficult, not only in the text we have revised but also in shifting thinking, and listeners often recognize both the challenge of changing and the possibility of change in thought For example, Nguyen Manh Hung stated on March 10, 2021 that localities and ministries could allocate 1% of the annual budget to developing e-government, calling it the world average; since some countries may view 1% as high or low, the label “average” functions as an understated cue that makes the expense more palatable A single-verb understatement is seen in Nguyen Lan Hieu’s March 3, 2020 remark: “We exhort afforestation but still allow big projects to start at the core of the forest,” where the verb “exhort” downplays inaction in forest management This illustrates how Vietnamese phrases convey understatements, shaping how people perceive policy effort and action.
Vietnamese politicians predominantly use phrasal understatement in speeches, with verb phrase understatement by far the most common type among phrasal word hyperboles, accounting for 37.7% Adjective phrasal understatement ranks second, while phrasal adverbs occupy 13% (third), and noun phrasal understatement is the least frequent at 4.4% A notable example is text V33 by Pham Binh Minh, where “Kinh tế từng bước phục hồi” ("The economy gradually recovers") functions as a verb phrasal understatement, signaling caution about economic recovery Another illustration appears in text V18 by Nguyen Phu Trong on 10 December 2020: “Công tác khen thưởng có lúc, có việc chưa kịp thời” ("Rewarding activity is sometimes not timely in some cases"), further showing carefulness in public statements.
Discussion
Analyses show that English politicians employ higher frequencies of understatements and hyperboles in their speeches than Vietnamese politicians This can be attributed to two main factors: differences in communication styles and socio-cultural norms Western, particularly English, cultures tend to be more extroverted and inclined to share more, which translates into longer, more expressive discourse where rhetorical devices like hyperboles and understatements are used to enhance persuasion and gain listener trust A second factor is social hierarchy; language serves as a tool for those higher in status In more developed societies such as England, politicians use language more extensively to influence others, and understatements and hyperboles are deeply embedded in English political rhetoric Consequently, the greater volume of political speech among English politicians is associated with higher usage of these devices.
According to this study, hyperboles are used far more frequently than understatements The researchers suggest that listeners' preferences shape how speakers deploy exaggeration, using hyperbole to attract attention and leave a lasting impression By contrast, understatements typically appear in negative contexts, which are not what most audiences want to hear.
In political speeches, understatements and hyperboles predominantly appear as single words or brief phrases rather than full clauses, a pattern that reflects the inherent complexity of the grammatical structure This stylistic tendency enhances rhetorical impact while preserving nuance Cladrige (2011) also confirms this observation.
Summary
This concluding chapter presents the study’s findings and their interpretation, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods Results are shown not only in tables and charts but also described descriptively to illuminate their meaning By analyzing hyperboles and understatements, the study examines their forms and functions and highlights the similarities and differences in their usage between English and Vietnamese.