TKG English Learner's Dictionary

speak

speakverb

American /spik/ British /spiːk/
third-person singular speaks past tense spoke past participle spoken present participle speaking
very commondefining vocabulary

To speak is to use your voice to say words, to one person, to a group, or in a particular language.

  1. say wordsuse your voice to say words, or say something to someone

    transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + adverb speak slowly, speak clearly, speak softly, speak loudly, speak quietly
    verb + preposition speak to someone, speak with someone, speak about something, speak of something
    phrase speak the truth, speak a few words, speak your mind, not be speaking to someone, this is Sam speaking

    Synonyms talk (talk is the everyday word, for a conversation between people)

    Compare talk (talk is for a conversation and is less formal: we talked for hours; the note at say compares say, tell, speak, and talk); say (say usually reports the actual words: she said hello)

    For translators (sense 1)

    Grammar trap The person spoken to takes to or with: speak to me, not speak me. Speak does not report words in ordinary use: not he spoke that he was tired, but he said that he was tired.

  2. a languageknow a language and be able to use it

    transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + noun speak English, speak a language, speak a foreign language, speak two languages
    verb + adverb speak English well, speak fluently, speak a language badly
    phrase speak in English, speak a little English, English-speaking

    For translators (sense 2)

    Grammar trap The language is a direct object: speak English. With speak, in English is used for a particular occasion (let's speak in English), while the bare object is used for general ability (I speak English). Adverbs come after the object: speak English well, not speak well English.

  3. to a groupgive a talk or make a speech to a group of people

    intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + preposition speak at, speak on, speak about, speak to, speak in favor of, speak against
    phrase speak in public, speak from notes, invite someone to speak

    Synonyms address (address is formal and takes the group as its object)

  4. give an opinionsay what you think of someone or something, or mention them

    intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]

    Collocations

    phrase speak well of someone, speak highly of someone, speak ill of someone, speak of something

    Synonyms mention (for speak of)

Phrases

so to speak

if I may put it that way

Used after a word or phrase that is not exactly right, or that is used in an unusual or joking way.

speak for yourself informal

that is your opinion, not mine

Said, often jokingly, when someone claims that you agree with them and you do not.

generally speaking

in most cases, although not always

Similar phrases are strictly speaking (if we are exact), roughly speaking (more or less), and broadly speaking (in general).

  • Generally speaking, the trains here are on time.
  • Generally speaking, people here eat dinner early.

speaking of something informal

now that something has been mentioned

Used to move to a related subject. Speaking of which does the same without naming the subject again. In British English talking of is also used.

nothing to speak of

very little, or nothing important

Also used after a noun with no or not much: no money to speak of.

speak too soon

say something with too much confidence before all the facts are known, especially when it later turns out to be wrong

Usually in the past: I spoke too soon.

speak for itself

be clear enough to need no explanation

With a plural subject: speak for themselves.

Word family

  • speaker
  • speech
  • spoken (spoken English: the language as it is spoken)
  • unspoken
  • outspoken
  • unspeakable
  • speak up (phrasal verb)
  • speak out (phrasal verb)
  • speak for (phrasal verb)

Usage

Speak is a little more formal than talk. You speak to someone (or, especially in American English, with someone) when you have something to say to them; you talk with someone when the two of you have a conversation. On the phone, May I speak to Ana? is the polite request, and This is Ana speaking is the polite answer.

Common mistakes

I speak well English. I speak English well.
An adverb does not come between speak and its object.
She spoke me about the plan. She spoke to me about the plan.
The person spoken to takes to or with after speak.
It was a small victory, so to say. It was a small victory, so to speak.
The fixed phrase is so to speak.

For translators

Meaning across languages Speak and talk are usually one verb in other languages. English prefers speak for the ability to use words or a language, for addressing a group, and for a serious or formal contact (speak to the manager), and talk for a conversation between people (we talked all night).
Grammar trap The person spoken to takes to or with: speak to me, not speak me. A language is a direct object: speak English. Adverbs follow the object: speak English well. Speak does not report words with a that-clause in ordinary use; use say or tell.
Pronunciation trap The past tense spoke and the past participle spoken have the vowel of go. The ea of speak has the vowel of see, as in speech, not the vowel of bread.