Synonyms:
| announce, | converse, | discourse, | say, |
| articulate, | declaim, | enunciate, | talk, |
| chat, | declare, | express, | tell, |
| chatter, | deliver, | pronounce, | utter. |
To utter is to give forth as an audible sound, articulate or not. To talk is to utter a succession of connected words, ordinarily with the expectation of being listened to. To speak is to give articulate utterance even to a single word; the officer speaks the word of command, but does not talk it. To speak is also to utter words with the ordinary intonation, as distinguished from singing. To chat is ordinarily to utter in a familiar, conversational way; to chatter is to talk in an empty, ceaseless way like a magpie.
Prepositions:
Speak to (address) a person; speak with a person (converse with him); speak of or about a thing (make it the subject of remark); speak on or upon a subject; in parliamentary language, speak to the question.
SPEECH.
Synonyms:
| address, | dissertation, | oration, | speaking, |
| discourse, | harangue, | oratory, | talk, |
| disquisition, | language, | sermon, | utterance. |
Speech is the general word for utterance of thought in language. A speech may be the delivering of one's sentiments in the simplest way; an oration is an elaborate and prepared speech; a harangue is a vehement appeal to passion, or a speech that has[340] something disputatious and combative in it. A discourse is a set speech on a definite subject, intended to convey instruction. Compare [CONVERSATION]; [DICTION]; [LANGUAGE].