speech

speech — noun

1. the natural human capacity to produce words with the mouth and communicate thoug

1.nounA1
Definition

the natural human capacity to produce words with the mouth and communicate thoughts and feelings, or a single act of saying something

Example

Wren lost her speech for a few days after the surgery on her throat.

uncountable: lost her speech (faculty)

Hiro's first speech as a baby was the word 'book'.

countable: first speech (an utterance)

Common collocations
  • lose your speech
  • return of speech
  • speech develops
  • slurred speech
  • freedom of speech
Synonyms
  • talk

    less formal and often shorter than a planned speech

  • utterance

    more technical; refers to any single spoken word or phrase

  • verbal communication

    broader; includes listening as well as speaking

Antonyms
  • silence

    the absence of speech

  • writing

    communicating through written symbols rather than spoken words

Grammar Patterns

uncountable for faculty/activity

countable for an utterance

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the general ability or activity ('speech is a complex skill'). Countable when referring to a single spoken remark or short utterance ('his parting speech was barely a whisper').

Common Mistakes

The teacher gave a speech to the class about homework' (when meaning a short comment).
The teacher gave a talk to the class about homework.
'speech' as a countable utterance is usually very short and unplanned; a teaching talk is better called 'a talk'.

2. a prepared talk delivered to a group of listeners, often on an important or spec

2.nounA2
Definition

a prepared talk delivered to a group of listeners, often on an important or special occasion such as a wedding, ceremony, conference, or political rally

Example

The bride's father gave a moving speech at the wedding reception.

collocation: give a speech

The president's speech about climate change lasted nearly forty minutes.

Common collocations
  • give a speech
  • deliver a speech
  • make a speech
  • prepare a speech
  • a speech about/on
Synonyms
  • talk

    less formal; may be shorter and more interactive

  • lecture

    educational or academic; aims to teach

  • address

    more formal; used for important public occasions

  • presentation

    often includes visual aids like slides

Grammar Patterns

give/deliver/make a speech

speech about/on [topic]

Usage Note

Common verbs: give a speech (most neutral), deliver a speech (more formal), make a speech (common in British English). The topic is introduced by 'about' or 'on' (a speech about education / a speech on the economy).

Common Mistakes

I have to do a speech tomorrow.
I have to give a speech tomorrow.
'do a speech' is not natural; use 'give', 'deliver', or 'make'.

3. the particular sound, speed, choice of words, and patterns that a person uses wh

3.nounB1
Definition

the particular sound, speed, choice of words, and patterns that a person uses when talking, which often reveals their background, mood, or personality

Example

Shanti's speech is very slow and careful because she thinks a lot before she speaks.

possessive + speech (individual manner)

The old professor had a formal speech that made every sentence sound like a lecture.

Common collocations
  • slurred speech
  • clear speech
  • slow speech
  • rapid speech
  • hesitant speech
Synonyms
  • manner of speaking

    more explicit and slightly more formal

  • diction

    focuses on clarity of pronunciation and word choice

  • delivery

    focuses on the way something is spoken in a performance or presentation

Grammar Patterns

usually with possessive or modifier

Usage Note

This sense is nearly always used with a possessive or modifying adjective (his speech, her rapid speech, the child's speech). Without a modifier, 'speech' defaults to sense 1 (the faculty).

Common Mistakes

I like his speech' (without context).
I like his way of speaking
it is very clear.' — 'his speech' as manner is fine in context ('His speech was slow and thoughtful'), but bare 'I like his speech' can sound odd because it may be read as sense 1 (the faculty) or sense 5 (a formal talk).

4. the type of language that people use when speaking out loud, which is often less

4.nounB2
Definition

the type of language that people use when speaking out loud, which is often less formal and more flexible than the language used in writing

Example

Soraya's English is excellent but her speech still sounds a bit too much like formal writing.

speech contrasted with writing

In everyday speech, people often say 'gonna' instead of 'going to'.

Common collocations
  • everyday speech
  • natural speech
  • informal speech
  • direct speech
  • reported speech
Synonyms
  • spoken language

    more technical and explicit; the full term

  • oral language

    used in linguistics and education contexts

  • talk

    informal; overlaps but is less precise about the spoken-vs-written contrast

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

usually uncountable

Usage Note

Often contrasted explicitly with 'writing'. Common in academic contexts (spoken vs written discourse). Uncountable only — you do not say 'a speech' for this sense.

Common Mistakes

She has beautiful speeches' (meaning spoken language).
Her speech is beautiful' or 'She speaks beautifully.
'speech' for spoken language is uncountable and has no plural.

5. the words that a character speaks during a play, film, or television show as par

5.nounB2
Definition

the words that a character speaks during a play, film, or television show as part of the story's dialogue

Example

The actor forgot his speech during the second act and had to be helped by another cast member.

Jessica had only one short speech in the whole play, but she delivered it perfectly.

countable: one speech (a set of lines)

Common collocations
  • forget your speech
  • deliver a speech
  • cut a speech
  • write a speech
  • learn a speech
Synonyms
  • lines

    more common in everyday theatre talk; 'speech' is slightly more formal

  • monologue

    a long speech by one character, often alone on stage

  • dialogue

    the full exchange between characters, not one person's lines

Grammar Patterns

countable for a specific set of lines

uncountable as a category

Usage Note

This is a countable sense — actors have 'a speech' or 'speeches'. It is specific to performance contexts. Do not confuse with a 'speech' as a formal talk (sense 5); an actor's speech is dialogue written by a playwright, not the actor's own words.

Common Mistakes

The actor gave a speech at the awards ceremony' (when meaning a formal talk).
The actor gave a speech at the awards ceremony
actually this is sense 5. For sense 4, use: 'The actor performed his speech from the third act.' — the distinction is between the actor's own words (sense 5) and the character's words (sense 4).
Idioms

figure of speech

idiom

a word or phrase used in a non-literal way to create a specific effect, such as a metaphor or simile

When Wren said her bag 'weighs a ton', she was using a figure of speech — it was not actually that heavy.

The teacher explained that 'time flies' is a figure of speech and time does not really have wings.

freedom of speech

idiom

the legal right to express your opinions and ideas in public without being stopped by the government

In many countries, freedom of speech is protected by the constitution.

The debate about freedom of speech often focuses on what kinds of hateful language should be allowed.

hate speech

idiom

public speech or writing that expresses hatred or encourages violence towards a particular group of people based on their race, religion, or other characteristics

The new law makes it a crime to spread hate speech against minorities online.

Many social media platforms now remove hate speech when it is reported by users.

direct speech

idiom

the exact words that someone said, reported in writing with quotation marks around them

In direct speech, you write 'I am tired' with quotation marks around the words.

The student's essay used direct speech from the interview to support her argument.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/5

These five words all describe spoken communication to an audience, but they differ in formality and purpose. A 'speech' is a prepared talk on a special occasion (wedding, ceremony, rally) — it is the most general of the five. A 'talk' is less formal and often shorter; you might give a 'talk' at a local club meeting, whereas you would give a 'speech' at a graduation. A 'lecture' is educational and organised around teaching a subject — professors give lectures to students. An 'address' is the most formal and ceremonial, used for important public occasions like a president's inaugural address. A 'presentation' typically includes visual materials like slides and is common in business or academic settings. For example: 'Salma gave a short speech at her sister's wedding,' but 'Dr. Okafor delivered a two-hour lecture on climate science,' and 'Justin prepared a slide presentation for the board meeting.'

speech ↗talk ↗lecture ↗address ↗presentation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'speech' comes from Old English 'spǣc' (also 'sprǣc'), meaning 'the act of speaking, talk, utterance, language'. It is related to the Old English verb 'sprecan' (to speak). These go back to Proto-Germanic '*sprēkō' (speech) and '*sprekaną' (to speak). Cognates exist across Germanic languages: German 'Sprache' (language, speech), Dutch 'spraak' (speech), Swedish 'språk' (language). The modern spelling settled in Middle English as 'speche' before shifting to 'speech'.