speak
gb/spˈik/ us/spˈik/
A1
Inglés
~ 400
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Verbo
A1
action
1
say words using your voice
To use your voice to say words.
Patrón de uso:
to speak [words]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'speak' with 'say' or 'tell'. 'Speak' focuses on the act of talking, not on the content or the listener.
Sinónimos
talk (More general and informal; can also include conversation rather than just producing words.)
Antónimos
stay silent (Not producing any spoken words.)
Colocaciones
speak clearly
|speak loudly
|speak slowly
|speak English
|speak the truth
Temas
communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She speaks three languages fluently.
- Please speak more slowly so everyone can understand.
- I spoke to my neighbor about the noise.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I speak English at school.
- Please speak slowly.
- She speaks to her teacher every day.
Verbo
A1
action
2
talk with someone
To talk with someone.
Patrón de uso:
to speak to/with [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners may forget to use 'to' or 'with' when indicating the person being addressed.
Sinónimos
converse (More formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antónimos
ignore (To deliberately avoid talking to someone.)
Colocaciones
speak to a friend
|speak with a manager
|speak directly
Temas
communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- I need to speak with you about tomorrow's meeting.
- She spoke to the doctor about her symptoms.
- They haven't spoken to each other in years.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I speak to my friend every day.
- He speaks with his boss in the morning.
- She speaks to her mother on the phone.
Verbo
B1
action
3
express an opinion verbally
To say what you think or feel using words.
Patrón de uso:
to speak [about/on] [topic]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'talk about', which is more informal but similar in meaning.
Sinónimos
voice (Often used figuratively for expressing opinions or concerns.)
Antónimos
withhold (To keep an opinion or information to oneself.)
Colocaciones
speak frankly
|speak openly
|speak honestly
Temas
communication
|opinions
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- She spoke about the importance of education.
- He spoke in favor of the new policy.
- Several people spoke against the proposal.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She speaks about her job.
- He speaks about his ideas.
- They speak about the plan.
Verbo
B1
action
4
give a formal address
To talk to a group of people in a formal way.
Patrón de uso:
to speak at [event]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this sense with casual 'talk', but here it implies formality and audience focus.
Sinónimos
address (More formal and specifically means speaking to an audience.)
Antónimos
listen (The opposite role in a communication event.)
Colocaciones
speak at a conference
|speak in public
|speak before an audience
Temas
communication
|public speaking
|work
Ejemplos
- The president will speak at the opening ceremony.
- She was nervous about speaking in front of so many people.
- He spoke to the crowd for over an hour.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She speaks at school events.
- He speaks at meetings.
- They speak at big parties.
Verbo
A1
action
5
use a specific language to talk
To use a language when you talk.
Patrón de uso:
to speak [language]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use 'talk' instead of 'speak' for languages, but 'speak' is standard when naming a language.
Sinónimos
use (a language) (More general term for applying a language skill.)
Antónimos
remain silent (Not using any language verbally.)
Colocaciones
speak Spanish
|speak fluently
|speak a foreign language
Temas
communication
|languages
|education
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Do you speak Japanese?
- She speaks French at home and English at work.
- Many people in Switzerland speak several languages.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I speak Chinese.
- He speaks English very well.
- They speak two languages.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
speak
AFI
GB/spˈik/
US/spˈik/
Sílabas y acento
speak (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (speak)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: speak
- 3rd Person Singular: speaks
- Present Participle: speaking
- Past: spoke
- Past Participle: spoken
Familia de palabras
Forms
speaks
verb
speaking
verb
spoke
verb
spoken
verb
Related words
spokesperson
noun B2
outspoken
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
speechless
adjective B1
unspeakable
adjective
Advanced or less common
unspeakably
adverb
Aspectos destacados
- Irregular past: spoke Verb
- Irregular past participle: spoken Verb
Expresiones
so to speak
1/sˈoʊ tə spˈik/
idiom
'in a manner of speaking' phrase
Used when what you say is not exactly true, but expresses your meaning in another way.
Ejemplos
- We had to fight for our rights, so to speak.
- He's the brains of the operation, so to speak.
speak up
1/spˈik ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
talk louder so others hear you
To talk louder so people can hear you better.
Ejemplos
- Could you speak up? I can't hear you from the back.
- She spoke up so everyone could hear her question.
frankly speaking
1/fɹˈæŋkli spˈikɪŋ/
fixed phrase
'honestly saying' phrase intro
Used before saying something in an honest and direct way.
Ejemplos
- Frankly speaking, I don't think this will work.
- Frankly speaking, you should have been more careful.
frankly speaking
2/fɹˈæŋkli spˈikɪŋ/
fixed phrase
honestly speaking
Used before saying something in a very honest and direct way.
Ejemplos
- Frankly speaking, I don’t trust him.
- Frankly speaking, the project has many problems.
speak of the devil
1/spˈik əv ðə dˈɛvəl/
idiom
informal
'person appears after mention' idiom
Said when someone appears just after you have been talking about them.
Ejemplos
- Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.
- Speak of the devil—here’s Anna now, just as we were talking about her new job.
- And then, speak of the devil, he walked into the room.
- We were complaining about our boss when, speak of the devil, he walked into the room.