utterance
gb/ˈʌtɚəns/ us/ˈʌtɚəns/
C1
English
~ 5300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
entity
1
something that is said aloud
A single thing that a person says, often short and complete in meaning.
Usage pattern:
an utterance of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *utterance* when *word* or *sentence* is more natural in everyday speech. *Utterance* is formal and is often used in academic, legal, or careful writing rather than casual conversation.
Synonyms
remark (Often slightly more informal and used for short, sometimes casual things people say.)
|
statement (More general and neutral; can refer to written or official declarations, not just single spoken moments.)
|
comment (Suggests reacting or giving an opinion, while 'utterance' is neutral and just focuses on the fact that something was said.)
Antonyms
silence (Refers to the absence of speech, the opposite of producing an utterance.)
Collocations
harsh utterance
|careless utterance
|brief utterance
|rude utterance
|strange utterance
|first utterance
Themes
communication
|language
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- One careless utterance in the meeting damaged his reputation.
- Her last utterance before the operation was a quiet thank-you to the nurse.
- The judge ordered that no offensive utterance be directed at the witnesses.
- Every utterance from the politician was carefully prepared in advance.
- His strange utterances during the interview made everyone uncomfortable.
Learner examples
- His angry utterance surprised his friends.
- Her first utterance in English was the word "hello."
- The teacher wrote the child's utterance on the board.
- That rude utterance hurt her feelings.
- He made only one short utterance and then left.
Noun
formal
C1
action
2
the act of speaking out
The action of speaking or making sounds with your mouth and voice.
Usage pattern:
the utterance of [a sound / a word / a phrase]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with *speech* meaning a long formal talk. *Utterance* here is about the act of speaking words or sounds, not a prepared presentation.
Synonyms
speech (Can mean the general ability to speak or a formal talk, while this sense of *utterance* focuses on the action of speaking in a given moment.)
|
vocalization (More technical and often used for non-word sounds; *utterance* is more about speaking words or meaningful sounds.)
Antonyms
silence (Indicates the absence of any vocal sound, the opposite of producing an utterance.)
Collocations
the utterance of a single word
|free utterance of opinions
|spontaneous utterance
|halting utterance
|public utterance
Themes
communication
|language
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ceremony began with the utterance of a short prayer.
- His utterance of her name was so soft that no one else heard it.
- Freedom of utterance is protected in many democratic societies.
- After the accident, he lost the utterance of several common words.
- The therapist encouraged the utterance of any feelings he had kept hidden.
Learner examples
- The ritual starts with the utterance of a special word.
- Her first clear utterance of the sound "r" made her parents happy.
- They do not allow the utterance of hate speech in that group.
- His sudden utterance of my name caught my attention.
- The law protects the free utterance of ideas.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
3
unit of speech in linguistics
In linguistics, one piece of spoken language by one speaker at one time, used as a unit for study.
Usage pattern:
a spoken utterance in [a conversation / a recording]
Common mistake:
Learners may think *utterance* here means just any sentence. In linguistics, an utterance is defined by how it is spoken in real life, not only by grammar or punctuation.
Synonyms
speech segment (Describes a similar idea but is less standard as a technical term than *utterance* in linguistics.)
|
turn (In conversation analysis, refers specifically to a speaker's turn, which is often, but not always, equivalent to an utterance.)
Collocations
linguistic utterance
|spoken utterance
|complete utterance
|child's utterance
|single utterance
Themes
linguistics
|science
|communication
|education
Examples
- Each utterance in the transcript was coded for politeness strategies.
- The researcher analyzed children's first utterances in the second language.
- In this study, an utterance is defined as any sequence of words bounded by a pause.
- The software automatically segments the audio into individual utterances.
- This utterance shows how the speaker negotiates disagreement politely.
Learner examples
- The teacher wrote each student utterance on the board for analysis.
- Linguists study how one utterance connects to the next in a dialogue.
- We marked every utterance in the recording with a time code.
- In this class, an utterance is one piece of speech by one person.
- They compared English and Spanish utterances in the same situation.
Grammar
Dictionary form
utterance
IPA
GB/ˈʌtɚəns/
US/ˈʌtɚəns/
Syllables & stress
ut - ter - ance (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ut)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: utterance
- Plural: utterance, utterances
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.