This paper will investigate the comprehension of non-literal language -metaphor, sarcasm and simile- in William syndrome (WS) and typically-developing control groups, and the correlation between non-literal comprehension and cognitive abilities. Results show that non-literal language is poorly understood by WS individuals. However, while their performance in understanding simile was significantly below TDCA (typically developing chronological age) controls but on par with TDMA (typically developing mental age) groups, sarcasm and metaphor are generally below what expected for their chronological and mental age. It is suggested that the linguistic and cognitive systems supporting non-literal language comprehension interact in different ways in WS people.