What does “speech” mean?
- 1
nouna formal talk given to a group of people
The president gave a speech on TV.
- 2
nounthe ability to speak or the way someone speaks
His speech was slow after the illness.
Speech at a glance
- Part of speech
- noun
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /spitʃ/ · SPEECH
- Forms
- speeches
How to use “speech” correctly
You “give” or “make” a speech, not “say” a speech.
Common phrases with “speech”
- give a speech
- make a speech
- freedom of speech
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Word family
- speak
- speaker
“speech” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- conference nounB1a large formal meeting where people discuss a subject, often over several days
- debate nounB1a discussion in which people give different opinions on a subject
- image nounB1a picture, photo or shape seen on a screen or in a mirror
- issue nounB1an important subject or problem that people discuss
- media nounB1television, radio, newspapers and the internet as ways of giving news and information
- network nounB1a system of connected lines, roads, computers or people
- performance nounB1the act of performing a play, piece of music or show
- response nounB1an answer or reply