speak
verb (used without object)
to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk.
Jump To:
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speak
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-speak
-speaka combining form extracted from newspeak (coined by George Orwell in his novel,1984 ), used in the formation of compound words, usually derogatory, derisive, or facetious, that denote the style or vocabulary of a discipline, person, era, etc., as specified by the initial element.
speak
1 American
[speek]
/ spik /
verb (used without object)
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speaks,
present (3rd person singular)
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spoke,
past
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spake,
past (Archaic)
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spoken,
past participle
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speaking
present participle
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to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk.
He was too ill to speak.
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to communicate vocally; mention.
to speak to a person about various matters.
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to converse.
She spoke with him for an hour.
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to deliver an address, discourse, etc..
to speak at a meeting.
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to make a statement in written or printed words.
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to communicate, signify, or disclose something by any means; convey significance.
The voters have spoken loud and clear.
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Phonetics. to produce sounds or audible sequences of individual or concatenated sounds of a language, especially through phonation, amplification, and resonance, and through any of a variety of articulatory processes.
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(of a computer) to express data or other information audibly by means of an audio response unit.
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to emit a sound, as a musical instrument; make a noise or report.
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Chiefly British. (of dogs) to bark when ordered.
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Fox Hunting. (of a hound or pack) to bay on finding a scent.
verb (used with object)
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speaks,
present (3rd person singular)
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spoke,
past
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spake,
past (Archaic)
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spoken,
past participle
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speaking
present participle
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to utter vocally and articulately.
to speak words of praise.
- Synonyms:
- articulate, pronounce
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to express or make known with the voice.
to speak the truth.
- Synonyms:
- say
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to declare in writing or printing, or by any means of communication.
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to make known, indicate, or reveal.
- Synonyms:
- disclose
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to use, or be able to use, in oral utterance, as a language.
to speak French.
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(of a computer) to express or make known (data, prompts, etc.) by means of an audio response unit.
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Nautical. to communicate with (a passing vessel) at sea, as by voice or signal.
We spoke a whaler on the fourth day at sea.
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Archaic. to speak to or with.
verb phrase
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speak out to express one's opinion openly and unreservedly.
He was not afraid to speak out when it was something he believed in strongly.
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speak for
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to intercede for or recommend; speak in behalf of.
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to express or articulate the views of; represent.
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to choose or prefer; have reserved for oneself.
This item is already spoken for.
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speak to
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to address or respond to, as in speech or action.
The legislature must speak to the issue of gun violence.
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to be appealing or relevant to.
His music speaks to me on a very deep level.
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to provide evidence for.
Our company’s rapid growth speaks to the passion and commitment of our employees.
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idioms
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speak well for, to be an indication or reflection of (something commendable); testify admirably to.
Her manners speak well for her upbringing.
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to speak of, worth mentioning.
The country has no mineral resources to speak of.
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so to speak, to use a manner of speaking; figuratively speaking.
We still don't have our heads above water, so to speak.
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speak by the book, to say with great authority or precision.
I can't speak by the book, but I know this is wrong.
-speak
2
American
speak
1
British
/ spiːk /
verb
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to make (verbal utterances); utter (words)
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to communicate or express (something) in or as if in words
I speak the truth
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(intr) to deliver a speech, discourse, etc
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(tr) to know how to talk in (a language or dialect)
he does not speak German
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(intr) to make a characteristic sound
the clock spoke
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(intr) (of dogs, esp hounds used in hunting) to give tongue; bark
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(tr) nautical to hail and converse or communicate with (another vessel) at sea
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(intr) (of a musical instrument) to produce a sound
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to be a representative or advocate (of)
he speaks for all the members
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on good terms; friendly
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in a manner of speaking; as it were
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to express one's opinions frankly and plainly
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of a significant or worthwhile nature
we have had no support to speak of
-speak
2
British
suffix
speak
More Idioms
Usage
What is a basic definition of speak? Speak means to talk, to give a lecture or speech, or to use your voice to say something. The word speak has many other senses as a verb and is used in several idioms. Speak is a synonym of talk and means to use words and sounds to communicate. When humans speak with each other, we use language governed by rules to understand each other. Some birds, such as parrots and ravens, are able to imitate human voices. While they don’t actually understand the words they use, we still say these animals are able to speak.
- Real-life examples: It is very unlikely that you never speak to people. Some people use sign language to communicate because they are unable to speak. If you have a cold or sore throat, it is harder to speak.
- Used in a sentence: My throat hurts, so I am having trouble speaking.
- Used in a sentence: I was in the audience when the president spoke at our college.
- Real-life examples: Witnesses at trials are expected to speak the truth. In the past, in many countries it was often dangerous to speak against God or the country’s religion. People from France speak French.
- Used in a sentence: I knew the right answer, but I was too nervous to speak the words.
What does -speak mean? The combining form -speak is used like a suffix meaning “a way of talking” or "a variety of language." Often, it has a derogatory, or negative, connotation. It is occasionally used in a variety of informal or slang terms. The form -speak is derived from the word newspeak, from George Orwell's book 1984 (1949). Newspeak is the term Orwell coined to describe the way official language often "say[s] one thing in the guise of its opposite, especially in order to serve a political or ideological cause while pretending to be objective." Put simply, it is language used for propaganda, such as describing a forced labor camp as a "joycamp."
Synonym Usage
Speak, converse, talk mean to make vocal sounds, usually for purposes of communication. To speak often implies conveying information and may apply to anything from an informal remark to a scholarly presentation to a formal address: to speak sharply; to speak before Congress. To converse is to exchange ideas with someone by speaking: to converse with a friend. To talk is a close synonym for to speak but usually refers to less formal situations: to talk about the weather; to talk with a friend.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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speaksimple
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speakssimple
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have spokenperfect
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has spokenperfect
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am speakingprogressive
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are speakingprogressive
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is speakingprogressive
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have been speakingperfect progressive
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has been speakingperfect progressive
Past
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spakesimple
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spokesimple
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had spokenperfect
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was speakingprogressive
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were speakingprogressive
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had been speakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of speak
First recorded before 900; Middle English speken, Old English specan, variant of sprecan; cognate with German sprechen ( Old High German sprehhan; compare variant spehhan )
Explanation
To speak is to talk. If a UFO lands in your yard, it will be easier to speak with the aliens if they've learned how to speak English — or if you know how to speak Martian. You can speak to your friend about something private, but you can also speak at the paleontology enthusiasts' convention, presenting your thoughts on the latest dinosaur discoveries. If you speak Spanish or Hindi, it means you are able to communicate in those languages, and if you speak for yourself, it means you offer your own opinions.
Vocabulary lists containing speak
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Lourdes gathering came a day after an estimated 700,000 people flocked to the Place de la Concorde in Paris to hear the pontiff speak.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Journalist Pablo Torre said his team sought comment from 14 sports figures who had been paid to speak at or promote Life Surge.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
“If more people demand the right to understand the risk and speak up about the risks of recklessly developing this technology, then we and our children will all stand a better chance of surviving.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Making the decision to speak up will have me looking over my shoulder for years to come,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
A stroke is an interruption of the blood supply to the brain that causes localized damage and often leaves stroke patients without the ability to speak.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
Sidi Wang, another parent, said it’s helpful to communicate with office staff and teachers in Mandarin, even though she speaks English.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Her installation of aprons, made of silk printed with her photography and archival images, speaks to women’s toil at home and in the workforce—both realms where their efforts historically have been overlooked and underappreciated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
The rally speaks to the allure of eye-popping corporate earnings growth and the roughly $1 trillion in annual capital expenditures expected for the artificial-intelligence build-out over the next several years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
It’s not just that he regularly quotes scripture or speaks openly of his faith.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026
This is different from the language of English, which is the language she speaks in with Xander.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Thus spake one of the world’s most powerful men this week, after he gained more power still.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 6, 2022
Thus spake Martin Luther King Jr. at the end of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2020
Thus spake Kanye West to his wife, Kim Kardashian West, and, via the bully pulpit of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” to all of us.
From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2018
And Gibran spake, It is a misprint for The Profit.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 30, 2010
He noted them for a while, not speaking; and finally, when he spake, he said, “1 am sure that it is best you rely upon your memory.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Speaking to RTE prior to kick-off, Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson spoke about the impact the intense scrutiny on the games have had on him and his squad.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Abdullahi and Glover both spoke about the fear many women in the industry face that becoming a mother could mean giving up their careers.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
As he spoke, mothers in the back rows swayed from side to side, hugging exhausted toddlers who had missed nap time.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Harry spoke to CTV after completing a skydive in Toronto to honour a promise to a 102-year-old Second World War veteran and raise awareness of military charities.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
But his voice seemed to shake a little as he spoke.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Many Germans I've spoken to feel their nation has drifted away from the things that once anchored their identity.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
In so many ways, the works that remain tell the deepest, truest story of yearning, resilience, love—of all that cannot be spoken.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
"I have never met or spoken to Mr Carter. Mr Carter never engaged in any inappropriate conduct towards me," the woman stated in the latest court document.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
Appearing at a news conference Sunday, she said she’s spoken to him about “the need for safe streets here in the city of Los Angeles.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
We haven’t spoken in over a year, ever since their families converted, but now I feel an urge to wish them well.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Back in the dressing room as a mentor, he is speaking to the media at Headingley - the location of his famous "it's tough being me" press conference.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
The next day, he said, someone from her staff sent him a clip of Harris speaking about Palestinian rights.
From Slate ● Sep. 25, 2026
While speaking to The Cut in 2025, Ortega recalled going through belongings at the property when she discovered an old toothbrush that had belonged to an ex.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
And speaking of Dodger Stadium, the No. 2 playoff seed carries another important perk: the home-field advantage for the Division Series — and possibly the World Series, if the Dodgers make it that far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
“I’ll take him. It’s very exhausting speaking Human for so long, and I really must stretch my magnificent legs.”
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
