In the current article, the author investigates the relation between the terms type of text and speech genre, based on the identified criteria. The author proves that the type of text is a metagenre language unit. In the same time, genres as a speech implementation of the same type of text have paradigmatic relations between them. The article studies the example of a group of didactic genres (such as exhortation, admonition, manual, mandate, precept) and finds the similarities and differences of their intentional-content complexes, including the emotional, cultural, historical and nation-specific semantic components. These components are related to the genre name.