speak
speak Lexical Profile
speak Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice in order to express thoughts, feelings, or information.
"Please speak a little louder so everyone in the back of the auditorium can hear you."
To hold a conversation or communicate orally with someone.
"I need to speak with the project manager before we finalize the schedule."
To be able to communicate in or use a specified language for oral expression.
"She learned to speak Mandarin fluently while living in Beijing."
To deliver a formal address, lecture, or speech to an audience.
"The keynote guest will speak on renewable energy policy at tomorrow's conference."
To serve as evidence for or convey a particular quality, meaning, or impression without words.
"The meticulously restored frescoes speak of the artisans' extraordinary patience and skill."
• noun
The specialized jargon, terminology, or characteristic language of a particular group, profession, or medium (usually used in combination).
"The consultant's presentation was so full of corporate speak that the main message was lost."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Speak' and 'talk' are largely interchangeable in conversation, though 'speak' is preferred in formal contexts, when referring to proficiency in a language (e.g., 'she speaks French'), and when delivering an official address.
• Rhymes for speak
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'sprecan' (later 'specan' with loss of 'r'), of West Germanic origin and related to Dutch 'spreken' and German 'sprechen'.