Are homophones and homonyms counted as language techniques?

While homophones and homonyms are interesting linguistic phenomena, they are not typically considered "language techniques" in the same way that figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification), sound devices (alliteration, assonance, consonance), or sentence structures (parallelism, antithesis) are.

Here's why:

* Homophones and homonyms are simply words that sound alike or are spelled alike. They don't inherently create a particular effect or enhance meaning in a text.

* Language techniques are deliberate choices made by writers to achieve a specific effect. They are tools used to convey meaning, evoke emotion, or create a particular tone.

However, homophones and homonyms can be used as part of other language techniques, like puns or wordplay. For example, a writer might use the homophones "to" and "too" in a sentence to create a humorous or ironic effect.

To summarize:

* Homophones and homonyms are not language techniques in themselves.

* They can be used as part of other language techniques.

* Their primary function is to explore the relationship between sound, spelling, and meaning in language.