English

Pronunciation

• IPA : /spēk/
• IPA : /spiːk/
• SAMPA : /spi:k/

Verb

to speak (spoke, spoken)

(Inflected forms: speaking, speaks)

1. to communicate by the use of sounds that are are interpreted as language; to communicate verbally.
2. to make sounds with the vocal chords.
3. to express through writing.

   He spoke of it in his diary

4. to express without words.

   Actions speak louder than words.

5. to deliver a message to a group; to deliver a speech.
6. to have the command of a language.

   He speaks Klingon fluently.

Synonyms

• articulate, talk, verbalize .

Related terms

• speaker
• speech

Idioms

• speak of the devil

Translations

• Bulgarian: говоря (1, 6)
• Catalan: parlar
• Chinese: 说/説 (shuō), 说话 /説話 (shuōhuà)
• Czech: mluvit
• Dutch: spreken
• Esperanto: paroli
• Finnish: puhua (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6), kertoa (3), pitää puhe (5)
• French: parler
• German: sprechen
• Guaraní: ñe'ẽ
• Hebrew: לדבר /ledabe'r/
• Indonesian: berbicara, berpidato
• Interlingua: parlar
• Italian: parlare
• Japanese: 話す (はなす , hanasu)
• Portuguese: falar
• Russian: говорить /govorit'/
• Slovak: rozprávať , hovoriť
• Slovenian: govoriti
• Spanish: hablar
• Thai: poot
• Tupinambá: nhe'eng