spoke

spoke — verb

1. the form of the verb 'speak' that shows something happened in the past — used wh

1.verbintransitiveA1
Definition

the form of the verb 'speak' that shows something happened in the past — used when someone used their voice to say words at a time before now.

Example

Amihan spoke to the teacher after class about the homework.

spoke + to + [person] + about + [topic]

The children spoke very quietly during the library visit.

spoke + manner adverb

Common collocations
  • spoke to
  • spoke about
  • spoke with
  • spoke of
  • spoke up
  • spoke out
Synonyms
  • said

    more general; 'said' can quote exact words, while 'spoke' focuses on the act of using one's voice

  • talked

    more informal than 'spoke'; suggests a two-way conversation

  • uttered

    formal; emphasises producing sounds or words, not necessarily in a conversation

Antonyms
  • listened

    opposite action — receiving sound instead of producing it

  • remained silent

    phrase describing the absence of speech

Grammar Patterns

spoke + to + [person]

spoke + about + [topic]

spoke + [language]

Usage Note

In very formal or written English, 'spoke' is sometimes followed by 'of' (They spoke of the old days) instead of 'about'. This is rare in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

I have spoke to him yesterday.
I spoke to him yesterday.
'spoke' is the past simple form; 'spoken' is the past participle used with have/has/had.
She speaked to me this morning.
She spoke to me this morning.
'speak' is an irregular verb; do not add -ed.
Phrasal verbs

speak up

phrasal verb

to speak more loudly so that others can hear you clearly.

Eri could not hear the guide, so she asked him to speak up.

speak out

phrasal verb

to express your opinion strongly and publicly, especially about something you disagree with.

Hassan spoke out against the new rules at the town meeting.

speak for

phrasal verb

to express the opinions or feelings of another person or group.

Asher spoke for the whole team when he thanked the organisers.

spoke — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Spoke' is the specific term for the thin straight bars in a wheel that connect the hub to the rim — you would not use it for any other kind of support. 'Rod' is a much broader term for any straight thin piece of metal or wood (a curtain rod, a fishing rod), so it works for a spoke's shape but lacks the wheel-specific meaning. 'Strut' refers to any structural support designed to resist compression, often used in building frames and aircraft; it is heavier than a spoke and not tied to wheels. 'Rib' describes a curved supporting piece (like an umbrella rib or a boat's rib), so it is wrong for the straight, tension-based spokes of a wheel. In everyday English, only 'spoke' communicates the idea of a wheel part — if you say 'a broken rod on my bike', no one will picture the wheel.

spoke ↗rod ↗strutrib ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • spoke wrench
  • spoke pattern
  • spoke count

Phrases

  • put a spoke in someone's wheel

Prepositions

  • of (spoke of a wheel)

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'spoke' comes from Old English 'spāca', meaning a rod or a bar of a wheel. It goes back to a Proto-Germanic root *spaikōn, which is also the source of Dutch 'spaak' and German 'Speiche' (wheel spoke). The verb form 'spoke' (past tense of 'speak') comes from a completely different origin — from Old English 'specan' / 'sprecan' (to speak). The two words happen to share the same spelling in modern English but have no historical connection.