speak
verb (used without object)
to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice; talk.
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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
-
speaking
present participle
-
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:
After the defeat by Bournemouth, Carrick was asked directly if Wilcox and Berrada should speak directly to supporters.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Gathered on the rooftop of “Wicker” distribution company Black Bear’s Santa Monica office, the two speak in matching leveled and frank tones, seemingly oblivious to the traffic and sirens buzzing below us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
“I want to thank the Brazilian people for the generosity they have shown me for such a long time,” da Silva said late Sunday, his voice so hoarse he could barely speak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
A quieter Fed would let the market speak louder, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
Only when she’s shown us to the kitchen table and placed two teacups in front of us does she speak again, in a flat, businesslike tone of voice.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Your wife’s reaction to your “discovery” speaks volumes about your collective relationship to money.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
"We have now centralised the procurement process and created a paper trail. Finance speaks to the supplier and then makes payment," she tells the BBC.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
He’s talking about the fractured Germany, but his depression speaks to something closer to home too.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed speaks, simply and directly, to the camera.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
He speaks fast with near-perfect English, although Dasch can hear an accent if he listens closely.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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 Zarathustra He humbly said you listen to me and choose for yourself.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2016
And Gibran spake, It is a misprint for The Profit.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 30, 2010
He spake of the cults of the forest demons, whose wails could be heard in the bush when the brotherhoods met in convocation.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
During a trip to India last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar about boosting refined-product exports, according to people close to the two governments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Jack Quaid, star of “The Boys” and “My Adventures With Superman,” also spoke to Bauza’s kindness and said he “always looked up to him both as a voice actor and as a person.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
As we spoke, another man in an ankle monitor came into the office.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Late Saturday, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez spoke of two serious injuries among protesters: one in Toulouse and one in Clermont-Ferrand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
But his voice seemed to shake a little as he spoke.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Before the ad featuring her mother, Acton had spoken openly about her trauma.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
“He has not spoken with or coordinated with the Mayor or her campaign about any communications being made by Unidos Con Karen Bass,” said Kaufman, referring to Rivera, in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
An oddly spoken word can give fans the ick.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Caricom Reparations Commission chair Hilary Beckles has repeatedly spoken out about ex-Conservative Party lawmaker and UK landowner Richard Drax, 68, whose ancestors established Drax Hall Estate in Barbados in the mid-17th century.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
This phrase would typically be spoken when someone has said something obvious.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Critical vulnerabilities in PHP — a commonly used programming language — that website operators are rushing to patch are also concerns among managers he’s speaking to.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
One employee of a nearby store, forbidden from speaking to the press by her employer, guessed she’d seen 30 people taken from the area around this shopping mall alone.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, speaking shortly after the inflation data was released, did nothing to change investors’ expectations of a hold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Former Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe - who is out of work - would be interested in speaking to Manchester United if the Old Trafford club part ways with under-pressure manager Michael Carrick.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2026
The closest she would come to speaking about it, enough to remind me of what had gotten me into this mess.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
