Ambiguity

Ambiguity or fallacy of ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning.

Ambiguous words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of unintentional humor. For instance, it is ambiguous to say “I rode a black horse in red pajamas,” because it may lead us to think the horse was wearing red pajamas. The sentence becomes clear when it is restructured “Wearing red pajamas, I rode a black horse.”

Similarly, same words with different meanings can cause ambiguity e.g. “John took off his trousers by the bank.” It is funny if we confuse one meaning of “bank” which is a building, to another meaning, being “an edge of a river”. Context usually resolves any ambiguity in such cases.

Ambiguity is when the meaning of a word, phrase, or sentence is uncertain. There could be more than one meaning.

Typically, it is best to avoid ambiguity in your writing. When you make statements that are ambiguous, you confuse the reader and hinder the meaning of the text. However, sometimes ambiguity is used deliberately to add humor to a text.

Common Ambiguity Examples

Below are some common examples of ambiguity:

• A good life depends on a liver – Liver may be an organ or simply a living person.
• Foreigners are hunting dogs – It is unclear whether dogs were being hunted or foreigners are being spoken of as dogs.
• Each of us saw her duck – It is not clear whether the word “duck” refers to an action of ducking or a duck that is a bird.
• The passerby helps dog bite victim – Is the passerby helping a dog bite someone? Or is he helping a person bitten by a dog? It’s not clear.

Examples of Ambiguity:

Sarah gave a bath to her dog wearing a pink t-shirt.

Ambiguity: Is the dog wearing the pink t-shirt?

I have never tasted a cake quite like that one before!

Ambiguity: Was the cake good or bad?

Did you see her dress?

Ambiguity: Is she getting dressed or are they talking about her clothes?

References :

http://softschools.com/examples/examples/ambiguity_examples/259/

http://literarydevices.net/ambiguity/