3 Ways to Detect Sarcasm in Writing

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Sarcasm is often detected by signs such as tone of voice and facial expressions. This can make detecting sarcasm in written form difficult. However, if you take the time to study a text, you will be able to tell if the author meant it to be sarcastic. Pay attention to signs that are implied in writing, such as hyperbole, then consider the context of the writing. The author's personality and opinions can also help you detect sarcasm.

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Method 1 of 3: Observing the Signs in Writing

Step 1. See if the author adds letters to common words

Sarcasm in writing can be difficult to detect because of the absence of a verbal tone of voice, which is often used to convey sarcasm when speaking. If someone is being sarcastic through writing, he or she may add a lot of letters to common words to indicate a sarcastic tone.

A writer can use multiple letters to denote an extended syllable. In conversation, if someone says something you don't believe in, you might respond by saying, "Hm," and extending it sarcastically. Therefore, a sarcastic use of the word "hm" in the text can be written as, "Hmmmmm."
There are other examples of words that are extended with misspellings to indicate sarcasm. One could type "I'm sorry" sarcastically to, "Soooooooooooo." Someone might make a sarcastic "Okay," by saying "Oooookeeeee!"

Step 2. Pay attention to hyperbole

Hyperbole, generally characterized by the use of intense adjectives, can be used to indicate sarcasm in writing. If a person's enthusiasm for a particular subject seems unusually intense, that person may be making hyperbole. This is often an indicator of sarcasm in the text.

Generally, in sarcastic writing, the writer chooses a more intense version of the common word to denote hyperbole. This can lead to sarcasm. For example, instead of saying, "It's sunny today," a sarcastic writer might write, "The weather was fantastic today." Since "fantastic" is a more intense adjective, its use can signal sarcasm.
Hyperbole may indicate sarcasm if the adjective used seems to contradict the situation. For example, someone posted a Facebook status saying something like, "I got a D on Chemistry and I feel like a genius!" One couldn't possibly feel like a genius after receiving a bad grade. Hence, you can assume this is sarcasm.
You can also search for extended letters in addition to hyperbole. When speaking, one can extend hyperbole intensifiers to signal sarcasm. In writing, one might add letters to indicate this verbal tendency. For example, "I studied all night for Professor Wiryawan's algebra exam and now I feel fantastic."

Step 3. Look for possible references

World references or popular culture references included in the text can signal sarcasm. If you're not sure if a writer is being sarcastic, see if he's using a specific reference. Use of references can indicate sarcasm if used in a way that feels inappropriate.

For example, let's say someone intends to respond to an author's political views in a news article commentary. The person might say, "Your response was as loud as a Tea Party parade." The Tea Party is a political organization known for its intense and sometimes aggressive marches. Saying that a response is "loud" and then immediately comparing it to a similar march might signal sarcasm.
The person speaking may also ask obvious questions to indicate sarcasm. For example, someone can ask a straightforward question in a forum, the answer to which is a definite "Yes." A sarcastic speaker might respond with something like, "Can Moses count to 10?" Since Moses is known in the Bible as the bearer of God's tenth commandment, it is very likely that he could count to 10. The answer to this question is of course yes. Therefore, the author may be being sarcastic.

Step 4. Scan for capital letters

In writing, certain words are often written in capital letters. The reason is to indicate a tone that is often used to indicate sarcasm when speaking. If it contains capital letters, a sentence may be sarcastic.

For example, let's say someone expresses disagreement with another's opinion in a political forum. The person will respond with something like, "OK, THAT makes sense." The word "it" written in capital letters indicates that in a sentence, the word "it" will be pronounced a little louder than the other words in the sentence. Verbally, this can indicate sarcasm.
Capital letters can be used in conjunction with other elements of sarcastic writing. For example, someone might say, "Okay, TOO makes sense! FANTASTIC point." This can indicate sarcasm, with a hint of aggression.

Step 5. See if the writing feels aggressive

Often, sarcasm is used by someone who is angry or frustrated. If it feels aggressive, it's likely sarcastic. If the author is involved in a heated argument, for example, you are more likely to find that his writing is layered with sarcasm.

Step 6. Detect sarcasm in literature and other media

Sarcasm has been used as a literary device, or a writing technique used to help convey ideas, since people first started writing. Writers of books, playwrights, and comedy sketches often use sarcasm as a way of developing a character's personality.

For example, "Game of Thrones" character Tyrion Lannister is known for his witty and sarcastic demeanor. The following dialogue is suffused with his trademark sarcasm: “No one may threaten His Majesty in front of the Kingsguard.” Tyrion Lannister raised one eyebrow. "I am not threatening the king, sir, I am educating my nephew. Bronn, Timett, next time Ser Boros opens his mouth, kill him." The dwarf smiled. "Well, that's just a threat, sir. Know the difference?"
Satire is similar to sarcasm in that it uses humor to highlight stupidity or weakness. The scale of satire is greater than sarcasm; an entire book, play, or film can be satirical, and satire is generally meant to ridicule social institutions, not just individuals. For example, George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is a satire on Soviet Communism.
Parody is another literary device that deals with sarcasm. Parody is an imitation of something whose purpose is to imitate the original work with a comedic effect. For example, when Tina Fey appeared as Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," she parodied Palin's style of dress and speech.

Method 2 of 3: Considering Other Aspects

Step 1. Consider the person writing

If you know the person personally, consider their personality and point of view. This can shed light on whether he is being sarcastic or not.

Sarcasm is often used as a form of humor. If the writer is known for cracking jokes, he or she may use sarcasm in writing. Sarcasm is also used when someone is frustrated. Is this person irritable?
In addition, consider the opinion of the author. If this writer is politically right-wing, when he says Obama's health care policies are "great," he's probably being sarcastic.

Step 2. Check the context

Just as you can find out the meaning of a word by researching the accompanying words, you can also detect sarcasm by examining the context. Where do you find pieces of writing that you believe contain sarcasm? Judging from the context, is there any evidence to indicate sarcasm?

What happened until the sarcastic sentence came to the fore? Is the writer expressing an opinion, joking with someone else, or engaging in an argument? The three situations above are the most likely situations for the emergence of sarcasm.
You should also look at the writing that precedes the potentially sarcastic part. The direction might be towards sarcasm. For example, let's return to the example above. If the author spends a paragraph criticizing Obama's health care plan, then says the plan is "great," then his statement is meant to be sarcastic.

Step 3. Think of the medium

Where did you read the article? Is it in online forums or in work emails? Certain mediums are more prone to sarcasm than others. You can get into trouble if you send sarcastic emails in a professional setting. However, people often use sarcasm when commenting on online articles.

Method 3 of 3: Responding to Sarcasm

Step 1. Pretend you don't know

If you are the target of sarcasm, there are several ways to respond. If you don't want to get involved in the argument, you can choose to ignore the sarcasm.

Just ignore those sarcastic comments. Come back to the point you want to make without ignoring it. For example, let's return to the health care example earlier. You can reiterate your points in favor of the health care while ignoring the "great" comments about it.
If you want to defuse a potentially intense situation and get back on track to move on, it's a good idea to ignore the sarcasm.

Step 2. Reiterate the sarcasm

Sarcasm may not be meant to be taken seriously. If you're joking with someone, and they send you a sarcastic comment, you can reply with something similar. Exchanging sarcastic texts and emails is a great way to have fun with friends.

Step 3. Respond to appropriate sarcastic work emails

Sarcastic emails are often a cause of frustration, especially if you get a work-related post. Sometimes this is unprofessional and you may not be sure how to respond properly. Try to remain calm and respond appropriately to the email.

Wait a few hours for a response. If you're frustrated with a particular email, you can say something off the mark in return. Give yourself time to process before striking back.
In this case, be proud. Don't strike back with your own version of sarcasm. However, respond with something like, "Sorry you're frustrated." Since a lot of meaning is lost in written communication, it may be a good idea to have a face-to-face conversation. Say something like, "I'm at the office at 3 today, if you want to discuss this matter further."
If the sender refuses to defuse the situation and responds back with further aggression or sarcasm, report the matter to HR.

Tips

If a statement sounds ridiculous, it is likely sarcastic.
If you're reading text by an unknown author, searching for the author's name on Google and identifying his personality and political views can help you detect sarcasm.
The genre of writing you are reading can also help. Humor or satire is far more likely to contain sarcasm than academic or more serious texts.