Examples

What Is a Speech?

Speech generator.

what is a speech in english

Most people find it difficult to write a speech for themselves. This is because sometimes, whatever is written on print might sound different when said aloud. There’s always the struggle of proper pronunciation and diction, not to mention the fact that delivering a speech can be a a very nerve-racking experience for anyone.

There’s no denying that it’s probably not for everybody. But most of the time, we’re forced to make it anyway. In order for an individual to give an effective speech , one must construct it well and deliver it with confidence.

A speech is a form of verbal or nonverbal communication that is delivered for a given purpose. Good speech communication serves as an important aspect for many professions in terms of promoting proper communication between individuals.

Some speech examples are given during special occasions, such as a wedding speech and a valedictorian speech , while others are made for formal business gatherings.

How to Start a Speech with Power and Confidence

The common misconception about giving a good keynote speech is that it’s a skill that you’re supposedly born with. Obviously, this is not always the case. It’s a skill that you develop overtime through constant practice.

It’s natural to get nervous, everyone does, although it’s not always obvious. This is because it’s all in the mind, if you have a positive mindset then you’re sure to develop the confidence you need. It’s all about believing in yourself, despite all the uncertainties.

Stand straight. Chin up. And look straight at your audience.

This will give you a sense of dominance. Not only that, you would also need to have a certain tone in your voice. When you speak with power, people will want to listen to what you have to say. Whether it’s a motivational speech or a leadership speech , establish your credibility by giving a speech with power and confidence.

Tips for Giving a Killer Speech

  • Picture everyone in their underwear. Metaphorically speaking, picturing your audience in their underwear would mean to strip them away from how you perceive them, which could probably be a group of monsters who are watching your every move.
  • Interact with your audience. There’s nothing more interesting than watching a speaker engage the audience into being a part of the conversation.
  • Observe proper posture. Body language is everything. This will allow you to deliver your speech in word with a high level of confidence.
  • Avoid dead air. People who are nervous tend to forget the words to say. If this happens, skip this point and come back to it when you remember.

Importance of Speech

A  speech examples comes in various forms, all having a specific purpose. The best part about a speech is that it demands to be heard. Whatever a speaker has to say plays a significant purpose for the audience.

It allows the speaker to deliver a message, while the audience listens attentively. Speech in pdf also contributes to human development. It is a continuous learning process that helps develop an individual’s communication skills.

Twitter

Text prompt

  • Instructive
  • Professional

Tips for writing a Speech on the value of teamwork

How to create a Speech for advocating for climate change action

  • Daily Crossword
  • Word Puzzle
  • Word Finder
  • Word of the Day
  • Synonym of the Day
  • Word of the Year
  • Language stories
  • All featured
  • Gender and sexuality
  • All pop culture
  • Writing hub
  • Grammar essentials
  • Commonly confused
  • All writing tips
  • Pop culture
  • Writing tips

Advertisement

Losing her speech made her feel isolated from humanity.

Synonyms: communication , conversation , parley , parlance

He expresses himself better in speech than in writing.

We waited for some speech that would indicate her true feelings.

Synonyms: talk , mention , comment , asseveration , assertion , observation

a fiery speech.

Synonyms: discourse , talk

  • any single utterance of an actor in the course of a play, motion picture, etc.

Synonyms: patois , tongue

Your slovenly speech is holding back your career.

  • a field of study devoted to the theory and practice of oral communication.
  • Archaic. rumor .

to have speech with somebody

speech therapy

  • that which is spoken; utterance
  • a talk or address delivered to an audience
  • a person's characteristic manner of speaking
  • a national or regional language or dialect
  • linguistics another word for parole

Other Words From

  • self-speech noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of speech 1

Synonym Study

Example sentences.

Kids are interacting with Alexas that can record their voice data and influence their speech and social development.

The attorney general delivered a controversial speech Wednesday.

For example, my company, Teknicks, is working with an online K-12 speech and occupational therapy provider.

Instead, it would give tech companies a powerful incentive to limit Brazilians’ freedom of speech at a time of political unrest.

However, the president did give a speech in Suresnes, France, the next day during a ceremony hosted by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Those are troubling numbers, for unfettered speech is not incidental to a flourishing society.

There is no such thing as speech so hateful or offensive it somehow “justifies” or “legitimizes” the use of violence.

We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.

Tend to your own garden, to quote the great sage of free speech, Voltaire, and invite people to follow your example.

The simple, awful truth is that free speech has never been particularly popular in America.

Alessandro turned a grateful look on Ramona as he translated this speech, so in unison with Indian modes of thought and feeling.

And so this is why the clever performer cannot reproduce the effect of a speech of Demosthenes or Daniel Webster.

He said no more in words, but his little blue eyes had an eloquence that left nothing to mere speech.

After pondering over Mr. Blackbird's speech for a few moments he raised his head.

Albinia, I have refrained from speech as long as possible; but this is really too much!

Related Words

More about speech, what is speech .

Speech is the ability to express thoughts and emotions through vocal sounds and gestures. The act of doing this is also known as speech .

Speech is something only humans are capable of doing and this ability has contributed greatly to humanity’s ability to develop civilization. Speech allows humans to communicate much more complex information than animals are able to.

Almost all animals make sounds or noises with the intent to communicate with each other, such as mating calls and yelps of danger. However, animals aren’t actually talking to each other. That is, they aren’t forming sentences or sharing complicated information. Instead, they are making simple noises that trigger another animal’s natural instincts.

While speech does involve making noises, there is a lot more going on than simple grunts and growls. First, humans’ vocal machinery, such as our lungs, throat, vocal chords, and tongue, allows for a wide range of intricate sounds. Second, the human brain is incredibly complex, allowing humans to process vocal sounds and understand combinations of them as words and oral communication. The human brain is essential for speech . While chimpanzees and other apes have vocal organs similar to humans’, their brains are much less advanced and they are unable to learn speech .

Why is speech important?

The first records of the word speech come from before the year 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English word sprecan , meaning “to speak.” Scientists debate on the exact date that humanity first learned to speak, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 2 million years ago.

Related to the concept of speech is the idea of language . A language is the collection of symbols, sounds, gestures, and anything else that a group of people use to communicate with each other, such as English, Swahili, and American Sign Language . Speech is actually using those things to orally communicate with someone else.

Did you know … ?

But what about birds that “talk”? Parrots in particular are famous for their ability to say human words and sentences. Birds are incapable of speech . What they are actually doing is learning common sounds that humans make and mimicking them. They don’t actually understand what anything they are repeating actually means.

What are real-life examples of speech ?

Speech is essential to human communication.

Dutch is just enough like German that I can read text on signs and screens, but not enough that I can understand speech. — Clark Smith Cox III (@clarkcox) September 8, 2009
I can make squirrels so excited, I could almost swear they understand human speech! — Neil Oliver (@thecoastguy) July 20, 2020

What other words are related to speech ?

  • communication
  • information

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

Humans are the only animals capable of speech .

  • More from M-W
  • To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of speech

  • declamation

Examples of speech in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'speech.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English speche , from Old English sprǣc, spǣc ; akin to Old English sprecan to speak — more at speak

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing speech

  • acceptance speech
  • figure of speech
  • freedom of speech
  • free speech
  • hate speech
  • part of speech
  • polite speech

speech community

  • speech form
  • speech impediment
  • speech therapy
  • stump speech
  • visible speech

Dictionary Entries Near speech

Cite this entry.

“Speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speech. Accessed 26 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of speech, medical definition, medical definition of speech, legal definition, legal definition of speech, more from merriam-webster on speech.

Nglish: Translation of speech for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of speech for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about speech

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, why does english have so many silent letters, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, popular in wordplay, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, 7 shakespearean insults to make life more interesting, birds say the darndest things, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), games & quizzes.

Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

  • Games, topic printables & more
  • The 4 main speech types
  • Example speeches
  • Commemorative
  • Declamation
  • Demonstration
  • Informative
  • Introduction
  • Student Council
  • Speech topics
  • Poems to read aloud
  • How to write a speech
  • Using props/visual aids
  • Acute anxiety help
  • Breathing exercises
  • Letting go - free e-course
  • Using self-hypnosis
  • Delivery overview
  • 4 modes of delivery
  • How to make cue cards
  • How to read a speech
  • 9 vocal aspects
  • Vocal variety
  • Diction/articulation
  • Pronunciation
  • Speaking rate
  • How to use pauses
  • Eye contact
  • Body language
  • Voice image
  • Voice health
  • Public speaking activities and games
  • Blogging Aloud
  • About me/contact

How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

  • WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
  • WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
  • WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
  • HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

  • an opening or introduction
  • the body where the bulk of the information is given
  • and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

Image: gourmet sandwich with labels on the top (opening) and bottom (conclusion) slices of bread and filling, (body). Text: Key ingredients for a superb speech sandwich.

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

what is a speech in english

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

  • How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
  • What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

Infographic: The Characteristics of Spoken Language - 7 points of difference with examples.

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

Graphic:cartoon drawing of a woman sitting in front of a laptop. Text:How to write a speech: checking tone and language.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

  • Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
  • Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

  • Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

Graphic - girl walking across a bridge. Text - Using transitions to link ideas.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Comic Graphic: End with a bang

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

  • Was it to motivate or inspire?
  • Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
  • Was it to share specialist information?
  • Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Graphic: shoal of fish and two hooked fishing lines. Text: Hooking and holding attention

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

  • Is it humor?
  • Would shock tactics work?
  • Is it a rhetorical question?
  • Is it formality or informality?
  • Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
  • Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

what is a speech in english

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Graphic: Click to read example speeches of all sorts.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

what is a speech in english

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

  • Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
  • Your RESEARCH
  • You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

  • the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

  • Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
  • Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
  • Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
  • Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
  • An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

Yellow banner. Text: You're most welcome to use this content in your online learning program. Please make it a do follow link.

  • Return to top

speaking out loud 

Subscribe for  FREE weekly alerts about what's new For more see  speaking out loud  

Susan Dugdale - write-out-loud.com - Contact

Top 10 popular pages

  • Welcome speech
  • Demonstration speech topics
  • Impromptu speech topic cards
  • Thank you quotes
  • Impromptu public speaking topics
  • Farewell speeches
  • Phrases for welcome speeches
  • Student council speeches
  • Free sample eulogies

From fear to fun in 28 ways

A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.

Public speaking games ebook cover - write-out-loud.com

Useful pages

  • Search this site
  • About me & Contact
  • Free e-course
  • Privacy policy

©Copyright 2006-24 www.write-out-loud.com

Designed and built by Clickstream Designs

what is a speech in english

  • Dictionaries home
  • American English
  • Collocations
  • German-English
  • Grammar home
  • Practical English Usage
  • Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
  • Word Lists home
  • My Word Lists
  • Recent additions
  • Resources home
  • Text Checker

Definition of speech noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

  • speaker noun
  • speech noun
  • spoken adjective (≠ unspoken)
  • Several people made speeches at the wedding.
  • She gave a rousing speech to the crowd.
  • speech on something to deliver a speech on human rights
  • speech about something He inspired everyone with a moving speech about tolerance and respect.
  • in a speech In his acceptance speech , the actor thanked his family.
  • a lecture on the Roman army
  • a course/​series of lectures
  • a televised presidential address
  • She gave an interesting talk on her visit to China.
  • to preach a sermon
  • a long/​short speech/​lecture/​address/​talk/​sermon
  • a keynote speech/​lecture/​address
  • to write/​prepare/​give/​deliver/​hear a(n) speech/​lecture/​address/​talk/​sermon
  • to attend/​go to a lecture/​talk
  • George Washington's inaugural speech
  • He made a speech about workers of the world uniting.
  • In a speech given last month, she hinted she would run for office.
  • She delivered the keynote speech (= main general speech) at the conference.
  • He wrote her party conference speech.
  • His 20-minute speech was interrupted several times by booing.
  • Her comments came ahead of a speech she will deliver on Thursday to business leaders.
  • She concluded her speech by thanking the audience.
  • He gave an impassioned speech broadcast nationwide.
  • We heard a speech by the author.
  • This is very unexpected—I haven't prepared a speech.
  • The guest speaker is ill so I have to do the opening speech.
  • He read his speech from a prompter.
  • the farewell speech given by George Washington
  • He made the comments in a nationally televised speech.
  • During his victory speech the President paid tribute to his defeated opponent.
  • In his concession speech, he urged his supporters to try to work with Republicans.
  • The Prime Minister addressed the nation in a televised speech.
  • He delivered his final speech to Congress.
  • He delivered the commencement speech at Notre Dame University.
  • His speech was broadcast on national radio.
  • In her speech to the House of Commons, she outlined her vision of Britain in the 21st century.
  • President Bush delivered his 2004 State of the Union speech.
  • She gave a speech on the economy.
  • She made a stirring campaign speech on improving the lot of the unemployed.
  • The President will deliver a major foreign-policy speech to the United Nations.
  • The candidates gave their standard stump speeches (= political campaign speeches) .
  • The prizewinner gave an emotional acceptance speech.
  • a Senate floor speech
  • her maiden speech (= her first) in the House of Commons
  • the Chancellor's Budget speech
  • the Prime Minister's speech-writers
  • She's been asked to give the after-dinner speech.
  • You will need to prepare an acceptance speech.
  • a political speech writer
  • in a/​the speech
  • speech about

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

  • in speech This expression is used mainly in speech, not in writing.
  • a defence of free speech (= the right to say openly what you think)
  • speech sounds
  • the use of language in everyday speech
  • The kids pepper their speech with a lot of slang and terms from social media.
  • the difficulties of transcribing conversational speech
  • Computer-generated speech has become significantly more intelligible and naturalistic.
  • The poems are delivered in a style between speech and song.
  • Improvements in speech recognition have produced digital assistants that can respond to spoken commands.
  • A blind user can 'read' a newspaper using a Braille display or speech synthesizer.
  • Her singing style is close to the natural rhythms of everyday speech.
  • the speech rhythms of the Polish language
  • He learned to successfully mimic American speech patterns.
  • birds that mimic the intonations of human speech
  • They were able to communicate without speech.
  • In English, a letter does not always represent the same speech sound.
  • Speech codes have been instituted by some universities (= to stop language that is sexist, racist, etc.) .
  • The country continues to suppress free speech and censor the internet.
  • When the government restricts speech, this may be a violation of the First Amendment.
  • racist hate speech
  • a figure of speech
  • freedom of speech
  • the power of speech
  • I seemed to have lost the power of speech.
  • a speech impediment
  • The child was referred to a speech therapist .
  • He temporarily lost the power of speech after the accident.
  • It's a story about a kid who loses his powers of sight, hearing and speech.
  • a child who has problems with speech and language
  • a speech and language therapist
  • After the stroke he had some difficulties with speech.
  • the development of speech in humans
  • Symptoms may include visual and speech impairment.
  • Her speech was slurred—she was clearly drunk.
  • Clear speech with crisp consonant sounds is very important.
  • She could tell by his slurred speech that he had been drinking.
  • She was slurring her speech.
  • I find his speech very hard to understand.
  • I don't like it when people correct my speech.
  • His speech was incoherent, responding to questions that had not been asked.
  • In halting speech, she began to tell her story.
  • She has a very idiosyncratic style of speech.
  • She has the longest speech in the play.
  • dramatic irony

Other results

Nearby words.

Look up a word, learn it forever.

Other forms: speeches

When you say something out loud, that's speech . When you give a speech , you say a lot of things in front of a group. Maybe you should open with a joke?

The ability to produce and understand speech in complex ways has long been considered part of what separates humans from other animals. "Freedom of speech " is the right to express your thoughts and opinions publicly. Adjectives, nouns and verbs are "parts of speech ." By the way: speech is a noun.

  • noun (language) communication by word of mouth “his speech was garbled” synonyms: language , oral communication , speech communication , spoken communication , spoken language , voice communication see more see less types: show 63 types... hide 63 types... words the words that are spoken orthoepy , pronunciation the way a word or a language is customarily spoken conversation the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc. discussion , give-and-take , word an exchange of views on some topic expression , locution , saying a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations non-standard speech speech that differs from the usual accepted, easily recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech community idiolect the language or speech of one individual at a particular period in life monologue a long utterance by one person (especially one that prevents others from participating in the conversation) charm , magic spell , magical spell , spell a verbal formula believed to have magical force dictation speech intended for reproduction in writing monologue , soliloquy speech you make to yourself Beatitude one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed) logion a saying of Jesus that is regarded as authentic although it is not recorded in the Gospels calque , calque formation , loan translation an expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language advice and consent a legal expression in the United States Constitution that allows the Senate to constrain the President's powers of appointment and treaty-making ambiguity an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context euphemism an inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive or too harsh dysphemism an offensive or disparaging expression that is substituted for an inoffensive one shucks an expression of disappointment or irritation Received Pronunciation the approved pronunciation of British English; originally based on the King's English as spoken at public schools and at Oxford and Cambridge Universities (and widely accepted elsewhere in Britain); until recently it was the pronunciation of English used in British broadcasting tongue twister an expression that is difficult to articulate clearly crossfire a lively or heated interchange of ideas and opinions phatic communication , phatic speech conversational speech used to communicate sociability more than information exchange a mutual expression of views (especially an unpleasant one) chat , confab , confabulation , schmoose , schmooze an informal conversation gossiping , gossipmongering a conversation that spreads personal information about other people talk , talking an exchange of ideas via conversation nothings inconsequential conversation commerce social exchange, especially of opinions, attitudes, etc. colloquy formal conversation argument , argumentation , debate a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal rap voluble conversation rap session conversation in a situation where feelings can be expressed and criticized or supported second-hand speech overheard conversation (especially overheard cellphone conversation) table talk conversation during a meal telephone conversation a conversation over the telephone tete-a-tete a private conversation between two people deliberation (usually plural) discussion of all sides of a question conference , group discussion a discussion among participants who have an agreed (serious) topic panel discussion discussion of a subject of public interest by a group of persons forming a panel usually before an audience post-mortem , postmortem discussion of an event after it has occurred public discussion , ventilation free and open discussion of (or debate on) some question of public interest dialogue , negotiation , talks a discussion intended to produce an agreement anatomical , anatomical reference an expression that relates to anatomy southernism a locution or pronunciation peculiar to the southern United States catchword , motto , shibboleth , slogan a favorite saying of a sect or political group axiom , maxim a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits epigram , quip a witty saying adage , byword , proverb , saw a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people idiom , idiomatic expression , phrasal idiom , phrase , set phrase an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up agrapha sayings of Jesus not recorded in the canonical Gospels sumpsimus a correct expression that takes the place of a popular but incorrect expression baby talk , babytalk the developing speech of a young child baby talk , babytalk , motherese an adult's imitation of the speech of a young child accent , dialect , idiom the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people localism a phrase or pronunciation that is peculiar to a particular locality regionalism a feature (as a pronunciation or expression or custom) that is characteristic of a particular region telegraphese language characterized by terseness and ellipsis as in telegrams vernacular the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language) argot , cant , jargon , lingo , patois , slang , vernacular a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves) slang , slang expression , slang term informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions; often vituperative or vulgar conjuration , incantation a ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect curse , hex , jinx , whammy an evil spell type of: auditory communication communication that relies on hearing
  • noun the exchange of spoken words “they were perfectly comfortable together without speech ” see more see less type of: speaking , speech production the utterance of intelligible speech
  • noun a lengthy rebuke synonyms: lecture , talking to see more see less types: preaching , sermon a moralistic rebuke curtain lecture a private lecture to a husband by his wife type of: rebuke , reprehension , reprimand , reproof , reproval an act or expression of criticism and censure
  • noun something spoken “he could hear them uttering merry speeches ” see more see less type of: utterance , vocalization the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
  • noun the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience synonyms: address see more see less examples: Gettysburg Address a three-minute address by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg (November 19, 1863) types: show 24 types... hide 24 types... allocution (rhetoric) a formal or authoritative address that advises or exhorts colloquium an address to an academic meeting or seminar dithyramb a wildly enthusiastic speech or piece of writing impromptu an extemporaneous speech or remark inaugural , inaugural address an address delivered at an inaugural ceremony (especially by a United States president) lecture , public lecture , talk a speech that is open to the public litany any long and tedious address or recital oratory addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous) oral presentation , public speaking , speaking , speechmaking delivering an address to a public audience discourse , preaching , sermon an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service) reading , recital , recitation a public instance of reciting or repeating (from memory) something prepared in advance keynote address , keynote speech a speech setting forth the keynote nominating address , nominating speech , nomination an address (usually at a political convention) proposing the name of a candidate to run for election oration an instance of oratory debate , disputation , public debate the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote) declamation vehement oratory epideictic oratory a type of oratory used to eulogize or condemn a person or group of people stump speech political oratory salutatory , salutatory address , salutatory oration an opening or welcoming statement (especially one delivered at graduation exercises) valediction , valedictory , valedictory address , valedictory oration a farewell oration (especially one delivered during graduation exercises by an outstanding member of a graduating class) baccalaureate a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies kerugma , kerygma preaching the gospel of Christ in the manner of the early church evangelism zealous preaching and advocacy of the gospel homily , preachment a sermon on a moral or religious topic type of: speech act the use of language to perform some act
  • noun words making up the dialogue of a play “the actor forgot his speech ” synonyms: actor's line , words see more see less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... aside a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage cue an actor's line that immediately precedes and serves as a reminder for some action or speech monologue a (usually long) dramatic speech by a single actor soliloquy a (usually long) dramatic speech intended to give the illusion of unspoken reflections throwaway words spoken in a casual way with conscious under-emphasis prompt , prompting a cue given to a performer (usually the beginning of the next line to be spoken) type of: line text consisting of a row of words written across a page or computer screen
  • noun your characteristic style or manner of expressing yourself orally “her speech was barren of southernisms” “I detected a slight accent in his speech ” synonyms: delivery , manner of speaking see more see less types: show 17 types... hide 17 types... address the manner of speaking to another individual catch a break or check in the voice (usually a sign of strong emotion) tongue a manner of speaking shibboleth a manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people tone , tone of voice the quality of a person's voice elocution an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and gesture inflection , prosody the patterns of stress and intonation in a language inflection , modulation a manner of speaking in which the loudness or pitch or tone of the voice is modified sharp tongue a bitter or critical manner of speaking note a tone of voice that shows what the speaker is feeling rotundity , roundness the fullness of a tone of voice undertone a quiet or hushed tone of voice cadence , intonation , modulation , pitch contour rise and fall of the voice pitch caesura a break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line enjambement , enjambment the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause accent , emphasis , stress the relative prominence of a syllable or musical note (especially with regard to stress or pitch) rhythm , speech rhythm the arrangement of spoken words alternating stressed and unstressed elements type of: expressive style , style a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period
  • noun the mental faculty or power of vocal communication synonyms: language see more see less type of: faculty , mental faculty , module one of the inherent cognitive or perceptual powers of the mind

Vocabulary lists containing speech

view more about the vocabulary list

The Academy Awards have been presented every year since 1929. Although some changes have occurred since then – the venue and award categories – the art deco Oscar statue has remained virtually the same. Celebrate this collection of essential terms necessary for any viewer to enjoy the famous ceremony. Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1 , List 2 , List 3 , List 4 , List 5 , List 6

Learn these words from the historical fiction by Jane Yolen (Inside: Level B, Unit 5). Here are our links to the selections of "Close Encounters": Encounter , Culture Clash , Mexico City , When Cultures Meet , Old World New World; The Log of Christopher Columbus Here are our links to the units of Level B: Unit 1 , Unit 2 , Unit 3 , Unit 4 , Unit 5 , Unit 6 , Unit 7 , Unit 8 Here are our links to the Inside books: Level A , Level B , Level C Here is our link to a list of academic vocabulary for Inside: Academic Vocabulary

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base
  • Parts of speech

The 8 Parts of Speech | Chart, Definition & Examples

The 8 Parts of Speech

A part of speech (also called a word class ) is a category that describes the role a word plays in a sentence. Understanding the different parts of speech can help you analyze how words function in a sentence and improve your writing.

The parts of speech are classified differently in different grammars, but most traditional grammars list eight parts of speech in English: nouns , pronouns , verbs , adjectives , adverbs , prepositions , conjunctions , and interjections . Some modern grammars add others, such as determiners and articles .

Many words can function as different parts of speech depending on how they are used. For example, “laugh” can be a noun (e.g., “I like your laugh”) or a verb (e.g., “don’t laugh”).

Table of contents

  • Prepositions
  • Conjunctions
  • Interjections

Other parts of speech

Interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

A noun is a word that refers to a person, concept, place, or thing. Nouns can act as the subject of a sentence (i.e., the person or thing performing the action) or as the object of a verb (i.e., the person or thing affected by the action).

There are numerous types of nouns, including common nouns (used to refer to nonspecific people, concepts, places, or things), proper nouns (used to refer to specific people, concepts, places, or things), and collective nouns (used to refer to a group of people or things).

Ella lives in France .

Other types of nouns include countable and uncountable nouns , concrete nouns , abstract nouns , and gerunds .

Check for common mistakes

Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text.

Fix mistakes for free

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Pronouns typically refer back to an antecedent (a previously mentioned noun) and must demonstrate correct pronoun-antecedent agreement . Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, places, concepts, and things.

There are numerous types of pronouns, including personal pronouns (used in place of the proper name of a person), demonstrative pronouns (used to refer to specific things and indicate their relative position), and interrogative pronouns (used to introduce questions about things, people, and ownership).

That is a horrible painting!

A verb is a word that describes an action (e.g., “jump”), occurrence (e.g., “become”), or state of being (e.g., “exist”). Verbs indicate what the subject of a sentence is doing. Every complete sentence must contain at least one verb.

Verbs can change form depending on subject (e.g., first person singular), tense (e.g., simple past), mood (e.g., interrogative), and voice (e.g., passive voice ).

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding“-ed” to the end of the word (or “-d” if the word already ends in “e”). Irregular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participles are formed in some other way.

“I’ve already checked twice.”

“I heard that you used to sing .”

Other types of verbs include auxiliary verbs , linking verbs , modal verbs , and phrasal verbs .

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can be attributive , appearing before a noun (e.g., “a red hat”), or predicative , appearing after a noun with the use of a linking verb like “to be” (e.g., “the hat is red ”).

Adjectives can also have a comparative function. Comparative adjectives compare two or more things. Superlative adjectives describe something as having the most or least of a specific characteristic.

Other types of adjectives include coordinate adjectives , participial adjectives , and denominal adjectives .

An adverb is a word that can modify a verb, adjective, adverb, or sentence. Adverbs are often formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective (e.g., “slow” becomes “slowly”), although not all adverbs have this ending, and not all words with this ending are adverbs.

There are numerous types of adverbs, including adverbs of manner (used to describe how something occurs), adverbs of degree (used to indicate extent or degree), and adverbs of place (used to describe the location of an action or event).

Talia writes quite quickly.

Other types of adverbs include adverbs of frequency , adverbs of purpose , focusing adverbs , and adverbial phrases .

A preposition is a word (e.g., “at”) or phrase (e.g., “on top of”) used to show the relationship between the different parts of a sentence. Prepositions can be used to indicate aspects such as time , place , and direction .

I left the cup on the kitchen counter.

A conjunction is a word used to connect different parts of a sentence (e.g., words, phrases, or clauses).

The main types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions (used to connect items that are grammatically equal), subordinating conjunctions (used to introduce a dependent clause), and correlative conjunctions (used in pairs to join grammatically equal parts of a sentence).

You can choose what movie we watch because I chose the last time.

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a feeling, give a command, or greet someone. Interjections are a grammatically independent part of speech, so they can often be excluded from a sentence without affecting the meaning.

Types of interjections include volitive interjections (used to make a demand or request), emotive interjections (used to express a feeling or reaction), cognitive interjections (used to indicate thoughts), and greetings and parting words (used at the beginning and end of a conversation).

Ouch ! I hurt my arm.

I’m, um , not sure.

The traditional classification of English words into eight parts of speech is by no means the only one or the objective truth. Grammarians have often divided them into more or fewer classes. Other commonly mentioned parts of speech include determiners and articles.

  • Determiners

A determiner is a word that describes a noun by indicating quantity, possession, or relative position.

Common types of determiners include demonstrative determiners (used to indicate the relative position of a noun), possessive determiners (used to describe ownership), and quantifiers (used to indicate the quantity of a noun).

My brother is selling his old car.

Other types of determiners include distributive determiners , determiners of difference , and numbers .

An article is a word that modifies a noun by indicating whether it is specific or general.

  • The definite article the is used to refer to a specific version of a noun. The can be used with all countable and uncountable nouns (e.g., “the door,” “the energy,” “the mountains”).
  • The indefinite articles a and an refer to general or unspecific nouns. The indefinite articles can only be used with singular countable nouns (e.g., “a poster,” “an engine”).

There’s a concert this weekend.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

  • Common nouns
  • Proper nouns
  • Collective nouns
  • Personal pronouns
  • Uncountable and countable nouns
  • Verb tenses
  • Phrasal verbs
  • Types of verbs
  • Active vs passive voice
  • Subject-verb agreement

A is an indefinite article (along with an ). While articles can be classed as their own part of speech, they’re also considered a type of determiner .

The indefinite articles are used to introduce nonspecific countable nouns (e.g., “a dog,” “an island”).

In is primarily classed as a preposition, but it can be classed as various other parts of speech, depending on how it is used:

  • Preposition (e.g., “ in the field”)
  • Noun (e.g., “I have an in with that company”)
  • Adjective (e.g., “Tim is part of the in crowd”)
  • Adverb (e.g., “Will you be in this evening?”)

As a part of speech, and is classed as a conjunction . Specifically, it’s a coordinating conjunction .

And can be used to connect grammatically equal parts of a sentence, such as two nouns (e.g., “a cup and plate”), or two adjectives (e.g., “strong and smart”). And can also be used to connect phrases and clauses.

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked, what is a collective noun | examples & definition.

  • What Is an Adjective? | Definition, Types & Examples
  • Using Conjunctions | Definition, Rules & Examples

More interesting articles

  • Definite and Indefinite Articles | When to Use "The", "A" or "An"
  • Ending a Sentence with a Preposition | Examples & Tips
  • What Are Prepositions? | List, Examples & How to Use
  • What Is a Determiner? | Definition, Types & Examples
  • What Is an Adverb? Definition, Types & Examples
  • What Is an Interjection? | Examples, Definition & Types

"I thought AI Proofreading was useless but.."

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Cambridge Dictionary

  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of speech in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

speech noun ( SAY WORDS )

  • She suffers from a speech defect .
  • From her slow , deliberate speech I guessed she must be drunk .
  • Freedom of speech and freedom of thought were both denied under the dictatorship .
  • As a child , she had some speech problems .
  • We use these aids to develop speech in small children .
  • banteringly
  • bull session
  • chew the fat idiom
  • conversation
  • shoot the breeze idiom
  • touch base idiom
  • tête-à-tête

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

speech noun ( FORMAL TALK )

  • talk She will give a talk on keeping kids safe on the internet.
  • lecture The lecture is entitled "War and the Modern American Presidency."
  • presentation We were given a presentation of progress made to date.
  • speech You might have to make a speech when you accept the award.
  • address He took the oath of office then delivered his inaugural address.
  • oration It was to become one of the most famous orations in American history.
  • Her speech was received with cheers and a standing ovation .
  • She closed the meeting with a short speech.
  • The vicar's forgetting his lines in the middle of the speech provided some good comedy .
  • Her speech caused outrage among the gay community .
  • She concluded the speech by reminding us of our responsibility .
  • call for papers
  • deliver a speech
  • maiden speech
  • presentation
  • public speaking
  • talk at someone

speech | Intermediate English

Speech noun ( talking ), examples of speech, collocations with speech.

These are words often used in combination with speech .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of speech

Get a quick, free translation!

{{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}}

Word of the Day

bank holiday

an official holiday when banks and most businesses are closed for a day

Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught

Trial, judge, and jury: talking about what happens when a criminal is caught

what is a speech in english

Learn more with +Plus

  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
  • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
  • English–Dutch Dutch–English
  • English–French French–English
  • English–German German–English
  • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
  • English–Italian Italian–English
  • English–Japanese Japanese–English
  • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
  • English–Polish Polish–English
  • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
  • English–Spanish Spanish–English
  • English–Swedish Swedish–English
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
  • speech (SAY WORDS)
  • speech (FORMAL TALK)
  • speech (TALKING)
  • Collocations
  • Translations
  • All translations

To add speech to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add speech to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples

  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

A part of speech is a term used in traditional grammar for one of the nine main categories into which words are classified according to their functions in sentences, such as nouns or verbs. Also known as word classes, these are the building blocks of grammar.

Every sentence you write or speak in English includes words that fall into some of the nine parts of speech. These include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. (Some sources include only eight parts of speech and leave interjections in their own category.)

Parts of Speech

  • Word types can be divided into nine parts of speech:
  • prepositions
  • conjunctions
  • articles/determiners
  • interjections
  • Some words can be considered more than one part of speech, depending on context and usage.
  • Interjections can form complete sentences on their own.

Learning the names of the parts of speech probably won't make you witty, healthy, wealthy, or wise. In fact, learning just the names of the parts of speech won't even make you a better writer. However, you will gain a basic understanding of sentence structure  and the  English language by familiarizing yourself with these labels.

Open and Closed Word Classes

The parts of speech are commonly divided into  open classes  (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) and  closed classes  (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections). Open classes can be altered and added to as language develops, and closed classes are pretty much set in stone. For example, new nouns are created every day, but conjunctions never change.

In contemporary linguistics , parts of speech are generally referred to as word classes or syntactic categories. The main difference is that word classes are classified according to more strict linguistic criteria. Within word classes, there is the lexical, or open class, and the function, or closed class.

The 9 Parts of Speech

Read about each part of speech below, and practice identifying each.

Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea. They can take on a myriad of roles in a sentence, from the subject of it all to the object of an action. They are capitalized when they're the official name of something or someone, and they're called proper nouns in these cases. Examples: pirate, Caribbean, ship, freedom, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pronouns stand in for nouns in a sentence . They are more generic versions of nouns that refer only to people. Examples:​  I, you, he, she, it, ours, them, who, which, anybody, ourselves.

Verbs are action words that tell what happens in a sentence. They can also show a sentence subject's state of being ( is , was ). Verbs change form based on tense (present, past) and count distinction (singular or plural). Examples:  sing, dance, believes, seemed, finish, eat, drink, be, became.

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They specify which one, how much, what kind, and more. Adjectives allow readers and listeners to use their senses to imagine something more clearly. Examples:  hot, lazy, funny, unique, bright, beautiful, poor, smooth.

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. They specify when, where, how, and why something happened and to what extent or how often. Many adjectives can be turned into adjectives by adding the suffix - ly . Examples:  softly, quickly, lazily, often, only, hopefully, sometimes.

Preposition

Prepositions  show spatial, temporal, and role relations between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. They come at the start of a prepositional phrase , which contains a preposition and its object. Examples:  up, over, against, by, for, into, close to, out of, apart from.

Conjunction

Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. There are coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Examples:  and, but, or, so, yet.

Articles and Determiners

Articles and determiners function like adjectives by modifying nouns, but they are different than adjectives in that they are necessary for a sentence to have proper syntax. Articles and determiners specify and identify nouns, and there are indefinite and definite articles. Examples of articles:  a, an, the ; examples of determiners:  these, that, those, enough, much, few, which, what.

Some traditional grammars have treated articles  as a distinct part of speech. Modern grammars, however, more often include articles in the category of determiners , which identify or quantify a noun. Even though they modify nouns like adjectives, articles are different in that they are essential to the proper syntax of a sentence, just as determiners are necessary to convey the meaning of a sentence, while adjectives are optional.

Interjection

Interjections are expressions that can stand on their own or be contained within sentences. These words and phrases often carry strong emotions and convey reactions. Examples:  ah, whoops, ouch, yabba dabba do!

How to Determine the Part of Speech

Only interjections ( Hooray! ) have a habit of standing alone; every other part of speech must be contained within a sentence and some are even required in sentences (nouns and verbs). Other parts of speech come in many varieties and may appear just about anywhere in a sentence.

To know for sure what part of speech a word falls into, look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence.

For example, in the first sentence below,  work  functions as a noun; in the second sentence, a verb; and in the third sentence, an adjective:

  • Bosco showed up for  work  two hours late.
  • The noun  work  is the thing Bosco shows up for.
  • He will have to  work  until midnight.
  • The verb  work  is the action he must perform.
  • His  work  permit expires next month.
  • The  attributive noun  (or converted adjective) work  modifies the noun  permit .

Learning the names and uses of the basic parts of speech is just one way to understand how sentences are constructed.

Dissecting Basic Sentences

To form a basic complete sentence, you only need two elements: a noun (or pronoun standing in for a noun) and a verb. The noun acts as a subject, and the verb, by telling what action the subject is taking, acts as the predicate. 

In the short sentence above,  birds  is the noun and  fly  is the verb. The sentence makes sense and gets the point across.

You can have a sentence with just one word without breaking any sentence formation rules. The short sentence below is complete because it's a verb command with an understood "you" noun.

Here, the pronoun, standing in for a noun, is implied and acts as the subject. The sentence is really saying, "(You) go!"

Constructing More Complex Sentences

Use more parts of speech to add additional information about what's happening in a sentence to make it more complex. Take the first sentence from above, for example, and incorporate more information about how and why birds fly.

  • Birds fly when migrating before winter.

Birds and fly remain the noun and the verb, but now there is more description. 

When  is an adverb that modifies the verb fly.  The word before  is a little tricky because it can be either a conjunction, preposition, or adverb depending on the context. In this case, it's a preposition because it's followed by a noun. This preposition begins an adverbial phrase of time ( before winter ) that answers the question of when the birds migrate . Before is not a conjunction because it does not connect two clauses.

  • What Are Word Blends?
  • Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
  • Definition and Examples of Adjectives
  • Subjects, Verbs, and Objects
  • What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples
  • What Is The Speech Act Theory: Definition and Examples
  • A List of Exclamations and Interjections in English
  • What Is Nonverbal Communication?
  • Examples and Usage of Conjunctions in English Grammar
  • Linguistic Variation
  • Definition and Examples of Interjections in English
  • Definition and Examples of Jargon
  • Understanding the Types of Verbs in English Grammar
  • Complementary vs. Complimentary: How to Choose the Right Word
  • Basic Grammar: What Is a Diphthong?
  • Subordinating Conjunctions

parts of speech

Parts of Speech

What is a Part of Speech?

We can categorize English words into 9 basic types called "parts of speech" or "word classes". It's quite important to recognize parts of speech. This helps you to analyze sentences and understand them. It also helps you to construct good sentences.

Parts of Speech Table

Parts of speech examples.

  • Parts of Speech Quiz

This is a summary of the 9 parts of speech*. You can find more detail if you click on each part of speech.

part of speech function or "job" example words example sentences
action or state (to) be, have, do, like, work, sing, can, must EnglishClub a website. I EnglishClub.
thing or person pen, dog, work, music, town, London, teacher, John This is my . He lives in my . We live in .
describes a noun good, big, red, well, interesting My dogs are . I like dogs.
limits or "determines" a noun a/an, the, 2, some, many I have dogs and rabbits.
describes a verb, adjective or adverb quickly, silently, well, badly, very, really My dog eats . When he is hungry, he eats quickly.
replaces a noun I, you, he, she, some Tara is Indian. is beautiful.
links a noun to another word to, at, after, on, but We went school Monday.
joins clauses or sentences or words and, but, when I like dogs I like cats. I like cats dogs. I like dogs I don't like cats.
short exclamation, sometimes inserted into a sentence oh!, ouch!, hi!, well ! That hurts! ! How are you? , I don't know.
  • lexical Verbs ( work, like, run )
  • auxiliary Verbs ( be, have, must )
  • Determiners may be treated as adjectives, instead of being a separate part of speech.

Here are some examples of sentences made with different English parts of speech:

verb
Stop!
noun verb
John works.
noun verb verb
John is working.
pronoun verb noun
She loves animals.
noun verb noun adverb
Tara speaks English well.
noun verb adjective noun
Tara speaks good English.
pronoun verb preposition determiner noun adverb
She ran to the station quickly.
pron. verb adj. noun conjunction pron. verb pron.
She likes big snakes but I hate them.

Here is a sentence that contains every part of speech:

interjection pron. conj. det. adj. noun verb prep. noun adverb
Well, she and my young John walk to school slowly.

Words with More Than One Job

Many words in English can have more than one job, or be more than one part of speech. For example, "work" can be a verb and a noun; "but" can be a conjunction and a preposition; "well" can be an adjective, an adverb and an interjection. In addition, many nouns can act as adjectives.

To analyze the part of speech, ask yourself: "What job is this word doing in this sentence?"

In the table below you can see a few examples. Of course, there are more, even for some of the words in the table. In fact, if you look in a good dictionary you will see that the word " but " has six jobs to do:

  • verb, noun, adverb, pronoun, preposition and conjunction!
word part of speech example
work noun My is easy.
verb I in London.
but conjunction John came Mary didn't come.
preposition Everyone came Mary.
well adjective Are you ?
adverb She speaks .
interjection ! That's expensive!
afternoon noun We ate in the .
noun acting as adjective We had tea.

People often ask

FAQ: frequently asked parts of speech questions

  • English Grammar
  • Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech - Definition, 8 Types and Examples

In the English language , every word is called a part of speech. The role a word plays in a sentence denotes what part of speech it belongs to. Explore the definition of parts of speech, the different parts of speech and examples in this article.

Table of Contents

Parts of speech definition, different parts of speech with examples.

  • Sentences Examples for the 8 Parts of Speech

A Small Exercise to Check Your Understanding of Parts of Speech

Frequently asked questions on parts of speech, what is a part of speech.

Parts of speech are among the first grammar topics we learn when we are in school or when we start our English language learning process. Parts of speech can be defined as words that perform different roles in a sentence. Some parts of speech can perform the functions of other parts of speech too.

  • The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines parts of speech as “one of the classes into which words are divided according to their grammar, such as noun, verb, adjective, etc.”
  • The Cambridge Dictionary also gives a similar definition – “One of the grammatical groups into which words are divided, such as noun, verb, and adjective”.

Parts of speech include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections.

8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples:

1. Nouns are words that are used to name people, places, animals, ideas and things. Nouns can be classified into two main categories: Common nouns and Proper nouns . Common nouns are generic like ball, car, stick, etc., and proper nouns are more specific like Charles, The White House, The Sun, etc.

Examples of nouns used in sentences:

  • She bought a pair of shoes . (thing)
  • I have a pet. (animal)
  • Is this your book ? (object)
  • Many people have a fear of darkness . (ideas/abstract nouns)
  • He is my brother . (person)
  • This is my school . (place)

Also, explore Singular Nouns and Plural Nouns .

2. Pronouns are words that are used to substitute a noun in a sentence. There are different types of pronouns. Some of them are reflexive pronouns, possessive pronouns , relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns . I, he, she, it, them, his, yours, anyone, nobody, who, etc., are some of the pronouns.

Examples of pronouns used in sentences:

  • I reached home at six in the evening. (1st person singular pronoun)
  • Did someone see a red bag on the counter? (Indefinite pronoun)
  • Is this the boy who won the first prize? (Relative pronoun)
  • That is my mom. (Possessive pronoun)
  • I hurt myself yesterday when we were playing cricket. (Reflexive pronoun)

3. Verbs are words that denote an action that is being performed by the noun or the subject in a sentence. They are also called action words. Some examples of verbs are read, sit, run, pick, garnish, come, pitch, etc.

Examples of verbs used in sentences:

  • She plays cricket every day.
  • Darshana and Arul are going to the movies.
  • My friends visited me last week.
  • Did you have your breakfast?
  • My name is Meenakshi Kishore.

4. Adverbs are words that are used to provide more information about verbs, adjectives and other adverbs used in a sentence. There are five main types of adverbs namely, adverbs of manner , adverbs of degree , adverbs of frequency , adverbs of time and adverbs of place . Some examples of adverbs are today, quickly, randomly, early, 10 a.m. etc.

Examples of adverbs used in sentences:

  • Did you come here to buy an umbrella? (Adverb of place)
  • I did not go to school yesterday as I was sick. (Adverb of time)
  • Savio reads the newspaper everyday . (Adverb of frequency)
  • Can you please come quickly ? (Adverb of manner)
  • Tony was so sleepy that he could hardly keep his eyes open during the meeting. (Adverb of degree)

5. Adjectives are words that are used to describe or provide more information about the noun or the subject in a sentence. Some examples of adjectives include good, ugly, quick, beautiful, late, etc.

Examples of adjectives used in sentences:

  • The place we visited yesterday was serene .
  • Did you see how big that dog was?
  • The weather is pleasant today.
  • The red dress you wore on your birthday was lovely.
  • My brother had only one chapati for breakfast.

6. Prepositions are words that are used to link one part of the sentence to another. Prepositions show the position of the object or subject in a sentence. Some examples of prepositions are in, out, besides, in front of, below, opposite, etc.

Examples of prepositions used in sentences:

  • The teacher asked the students to draw lines on the paper so that they could write in straight lines.
  • The child hid his birthday presents under his bed.
  • Mom asked me to go to the store near my school.
  • The thieves jumped over the wall and escaped before we could reach home.

7. Conjunctions are a part of speech that is used to connect two different parts of a sentence, phrases and clauses . Some examples of conjunctions are and, or, for, yet, although, because, not only, etc.

Examples of conjunctions used in sentences:

  • Meera and Jasmine had come to my birthday party.
  • Jane did not go to work as she was sick.
  • Unless you work hard, you cannot score good marks.
  • I have not finished my project,  yet I went out with my friends.

8. Interjections are words that are used to convey strong emotions or feelings. Some examples of interjections are oh, wow, alas, yippee, etc. It is always followed by an exclamation mark.

Examples of interjections used in sentences:

  • Wow ! What a wonderful work of art.
  • Alas ! That is really sad.
  • Yippee ! We won the match.

Sentence Examples for the 8 Parts of Speech

  • Noun – Tom lives in New York .
  • Pronoun – Did she find the book she was looking for?
  • Verb – I reached home.
  • Adverb – The tea is too hot.
  • Adjective – The movie was amazing .
  • Preposition – The candle was kept under the table.
  • Conjunction – I was at home all day, but I am feeling very tired.
  • Interjection – Oh ! I forgot to turn off the stove.

Let us find out if you have understood the different parts of speech and their functions. Try identifying which part of speech the highlighted words belong to.

  • My brother came home  late .
  • I am a good girl.
  • This is the book I  was looking for.
  • Whoa ! This is amazing .
  • The climate  in  Kodaikanal is very pleasant.
  • Can you please pick up Dan and me on  your way home?

Now, let us see if you got it right. Check your answers.

  • My – Pronoun, Home – Noun, Late – Adverb
  • Am – Verb, Good – Adjective
  • I – Pronoun, Was looking – Verb
  • Whoa – Interjection, Amazing – Adjective
  • Climate – Noun, In – Preposition, Kodaikanal – Noun, Very – Adverb
  • And – Conjunction, On – Preposition, Your – Pronoun

What are parts of speech?

The term ‘parts of speech’ refers to words that perform different functions in a sentence  in order to give the sentence a proper meaning and structure.

How many parts of speech are there?

There are 8 parts of speech in total.

What are the 8 parts of speech?

Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections are the 8 parts of speech.

ENGLISH Related Links

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Request OTP on Voice Call

Post My Comment

what is a speech in english

Register with BYJU'S & Download Free PDFs

Register with byju's & watch live videos.

7ESL

Parts of Speech in English

Parts of speech are categories of words that perform similar grammatical roles in phrase and sentence structures. You might wonder what the different parts of speech are and how to identify them. This reference explains parts of speech, including nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, determiners, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections, with examples.

You’ll also learn about open and closed word classes, how to determine a part of speech in a sentence, and their roles in simple and complex sentence constructions. This guide includes a useful picture, a video, and a quiz on parts of speech to help solidify your understanding.

Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech

What Are Parts Of Speech?

Parts of speech are word categories defined by their roles in sentence structures. These categories are organized by the functions and meanings they convey. In English, there are around ten common parts of speech:  nouns ,  verbs ,  adjectives ,  adverbs ,  pronouns ,  prepositions ,  conjunctions ,  interjections ,  determiners , and  articles .

Open and Closed Word Classes

Closed word classes  are parts of speech that do not have newer words introduced over time. These include pronouns, conjunctions, determiners, and prepositions.

Open word classes  are parts of speech that can have newer words introduced over time. These include nouns, verbs, adjectives, interjections, and adverbs.

Different Parts of Speech (with Examples)

The noun (n.).

A  noun  gives a name to something. There are different types of nouns like proper, collective, possessive, and common nouns.

Jeffrey, Korea, pen, New Year, dog, cat, elephant, garden, school, work, music, town, Manila, teacher, farmer, Bob, Sean, Michael, police officer, France, coffee, football, danger, happiness…

Example sentences:

  • The  teacher  told the  children  to stop chattering in class.
  • John  is good at  French  but weak at  History .

Common Noun :  Names a general item.

  • Here is a  cup .
  • Do you want a  cake ?

Proper Noun:  Names a specific item.

  • The capital of  England  is  London .
  • Sarah  is beautiful.

Collective Noun:  Refers to a group.

  • The  swarm  of bees was headed straight towards our picnic.
  • At church on Sunday, the  choir  sings loudly.

Possessive Noun:  Shows ownership.

  • This is my  dog’s  ball.
  • That is  Sarah’s  friend.

The Verb (v.)

A  verb  describes an action. There are three main types: action, linking, and modal verbs.

Walk, is, seem, realize, run, see, swim, stand, go, have, get, promise, invite, listen, sing, sit, laugh, walk…

  • Don’t  try  to  run  before you can  walk .
  • Did you  kiss  anybody?
  • Leave  me alone!

Action Verb :  Describes an action.

  • The man  walked  down the street.
  • I  laughed  at his joke.
  • She  ran  to catch the bus before it left.
  • The chef  chopped  the vegetables into small pieces for the salad.

Linking Verb:  Connects the subject to a noun, adjective, or pronoun.

  • Sarah  feels  cold.
  • I  am  very tired.
  • The flowers in the garden  are  blooming beautifully in the spring.
  • The soup  smells  delicious and makes my mouth water.

Modal Verb:  Helps the main verb and shows the speaker’s thoughts.

  • I  might  walk to the park this afternoon.
  • He  can  eat the last slice of cake.
  • You  must  listen to me!

The Pronoun (pron.)

A  pronoun  replaces a noun. There are various types of pronouns like reflexive, indefinite, possessive, and relative pronouns.

I, me, we, you, he, she, yours, himself, its, my, that, this, those, us, who, whom

  • Richard isn’t at work this week;  he ‘s gone on holiday.
  • Don’t tell  her  the truth.
  • She tried it  herself .
  • You can’t blame  him  for  everything .
  • The woman  who  called yesterday wants to buy the house.

Reflexive Pronoun:  Refers to self.

  • I am going to keep this last cupcake for  myself .
  • Peter always puts  himself  first.

Indefinite Pronoun:  Refers to a non-specific person or item.

  • Can you take  all ?
  • I need to speak to  someone  about this rash on my arm.

Possessive Pronoun:  Shows ownership.

  • This bag is not  yours , it’s  mine .
  • Her book is so new, while  his  looks vintage.

Relative Pronoun:  Introduces an adjective clause.

  • This is the woman  who  will be working with you.
  • Is this the book  that  everyone is raving about?

The Adjective (adj.)

An  adjective  describes a noun or pronoun.

Beautiful, seven, cute, second, tall, blue, angry, brave, careful, healthy, little, old, generous, red, smart, two, small, tall, some, good, big, useful, interesting…

  • This is a  blue  car.
  • The  small  squirrel ran up the tree.
  • During the thunderstorm, we saw some  heavy  rain.
  • My mother has  short  hair.
  • The documentary on TV last night was very  interesting .
  • My son has an  impressive  collection of toy soldiers.
  • The weather is  hot  and  sunny  today.
  • My vacation was  exciting .
  • The leaves on that tree are  green  and  large .

The Adverb (adv.)

An  adverb  modifies an adjective, verb, or another adverb. Many adverbs end in -ly, but not all do.

Neatly, tomorrow, very, badly, fully, carefully, hardly, nearly, hungrily, never, quickly, silently, well, really, almost…

  • This is an  extremely  attractive photograph.
  • I have a  very  large pet dog.
  • My car drives  quickly .
  • When I am running late for work, I eat my breakfast  rapidly .
  • The boy is crying  loudly .
  • She  carefully  preserved all his letters.

Determiners and Articles

Determiners and articles help clarify the nouns they introduce.  Articles  can be definite ( the ) or indefinite ( a ,  an ).

The, a, an, this, that, these, those, many, few, each, every, some, any, no, which, what

  • The  cat is sleeping on  a  mat.
  • Can  an  apple be green?
  • This  book is very interesting.
  • Each  student must bring their own lunch.

The Conjunction (conj.)

A  conjunction  connects words, phrases, or clauses. Some common conjunctions are  and ,  but ,  or ,  so ,  because , and  although .

And, but, or, so, because, although, if, until, while, since, when, after, before, as

  • I want to buy a sandwich  and  a drink.
  • She was tired  but  happy.
  • You can go to the party  or  stay home.
  • They were late  because  of the traffic.
  • Although  it was raining, we went for a walk.

The Preposition (prep.)

A  preposition  shows the relationship of a noun (or pronoun) to another word. Common prepositions include  at ,  on ,  in ,  by ,  with , and  about .

At, on, in, by, with, about, above, below, between, during, for, from, over, under, through

  • The cat is  on  the roof.
  • She sat  by  the window.
  • We will meet  at  the park  in  the afternoon.
  • The book is  about  a boy  with  a magical power.

The Interjection (interj.)

An  interjection  is a word or phrase that expresses strong emotion or sudden exclamation. Common interjections include  wow ,  ouch ,  oh , and  hey .

Wow, ouch, oh, hey, ah, ugh, ew, hmm, yay, yikes, whoa, oops, aha, hurray, ew, oh no

  • Wow ! That’s amazing!
  • Ouch ! That hurt.
  • Oh ! I didn’t see you there.
  • Hey ! Wait for me.
  • Yay ! We won the game.

In this section, you’ve learned about different parts of speech with examples and sample sentences. Each part of speech plays a unique role in creating meaningful sentences.

How To Determine A Part Of Speech In A Sentence

To determine a part of speech in a sentence, look at the word being used, its context, and what meaning it brings to the sentence structure. Here are some questions you can ask about a particular word:

  • Is it a person, place, idea, name, or thing?  It is a  noun .
  • Is the word used in place of a noun?  It is a  pronoun .
  • Does the word convey an action, occurrence, or state of being?  It is a  verb .
  • Does the word modify a noun?  It is an  adjective .
  • Does the word modify a verb, adjective, or itself?  It is an  adverb .
  • Is the word placed in front of a noun to form a modifying phrase?  It is a  preposition .
  • Does the word link a phrase or clause?  It is a  conjunction .
  • Is the word a quick expression of emotion?  It is an  interjection .
  • Is the word placed before a noun to clarify it?  It is a  determiner  or an  article .

By asking these questions, you can identify the correct part of speech for any word in a sentence.

Parts of Speech and Sentence Construction

Simple/basic sentences.

In its simplest form, a sentence can have one  independent clause .

For example, the sentence “I walk to the store” contains one clause.

  • “I” is the subject of the clause, while “walk” is the verb.
  • The ending phrase, “walk to the store” would be the verb phrase, or  predicate , of the sentence.

This entire sentence “I walk to the store” is an independent clause, expresses one subject doing one action — and is known as a  simple sentence .

Knowing this, apply the fact that nouns and pronouns will often be the subjects or objects of simple sentences, while verbs will convey actions. So once again:

  • I  (subject, pronoun)
  • walk  (verb)
  • to  (preposition)
  • the  (article)
  • store  (object, noun)

Complex Sentences

Complex sentences contain an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. These sentences use conjunctions such as  because, since, which,  or  who  to connect clauses. Consider the structure and an example below:

  • Independent Clause:  She reads a book
  • Dependent Clause:  because she wants to learn

By combining these clauses, one forms a complex sentence:  She reads a book because she wants to learn.

Other examples of complex sentences:

  • Although the weather was cold, they decided to go for a hike.
  • She completed her assignment before she went out with her friends.
  • When you finish your homework, we can go to the movies.
  • Because my coffee was too cold, I heated it in the microwave.
  • If you save your money, you can buy a new bicycle.

English Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech Video

Learn all parts of speech in English with a useful video lesson.

Parts Of Speech Quiz

Here are some Parts Of Speech exercises for you to practice:

A. In the sentence “I ran to the tallest tree”, what part of speech is the word “tallest”?

  • A preposition
  • An adjective

B. In the 2000s, the word  staycation  described the act of staying home for a vacation. Since “staycation” is a noun and a new word, what class of words does it belong to?

  • The Open word class
  • The Closed word class
  • The Infinitive word class

C. In the sentence “I’ll have a few tacos”, what part of speech is the phrase “a few”?

  • Interjections
  • Determiners

Answers: A) 3, B) 1, C) 3

  • Latest Posts

' src=

  • Active vs. Passive Voice Exercises – Active vs. Passive Voice Worksheet - December 25, 2023
  • Phrase Exercises – Phrase Worksheet - December 23, 2023
  • Sentence Exercises – Sentence Worksheet - December 23, 2023

what is a speech in english

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Meet top uk universities from the comfort of your home, here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

what is a speech in english

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

what is a speech in english

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Leverage Edu

  • Speech Writing /

Speech on Janmashtami in English for School Students

what is a speech in english

  • Updated on  
  • Aug 24, 2024

Speech on Janmashtami

Speech on Janmashtami: Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. It’s observed with great enthusiasm and devotion, especially in India. The festival involves various rituals, prayers, and festivities to commemorate Krishna’s birth and his divine playfulness. Read this blog to learn more about the Janmashtami, you will also find a few speeches that you can easily deliver. 

Table of Contents

  • 1 Short Speech on Janmashtami
  • 2 Long Speech on Janmashtami
  • 3 7 Reasons Why We Celebrate Janmashtami

Check out more blogs on speech writing here!

Short Speech on Janmashtami

Good morning respective authorities and my dear friends, 

Today, we gather to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is revered as a symbol of divine love, wisdom, and courage. His life is a testament to the triumph of good over evil, and his teachings continue to inspire millions around the world.

On this day, let us reflect on Krishna’s message of compassion, selflessness, and devotion. Let us strive to emulate his qualities in our own lives. May this festival bring peace, joy, and prosperity to all.

Happy Janmashtami!

Long Speech on Janmashtami

Good morning one and all, today we have gathered on this auspicious occasion of Janmashtami to understand the importance behind the same and why it is celebrated in India. 

Janmashtami, a Hindu festival of profound significance, commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. This divine incarnation is celebrated with great fervour and devotion across the globe. Krishna, a symbol of love, compassion, and wisdom, has captivated hearts for centuries with his enchanting tales and divine playfulness.

The birth of Krishna, a miraculous event foretold in ancient scriptures, took place on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. To protect him from the wrath of King Kansa, Krishna’s uncle, his mother Devaki gave birth to him in a secluded prison cell. The divine infant was then smuggled away to Gokul, where he was raised under the care of his foster parents, Nanda and Yashoda.

Krishna’s childhood was filled with playful pranks and mischievous adventures. He was known for his love of butter, his friendship with the cowherd boys, and his divine pastimes. His childhood tales, such as the churning of the cosmic ocean and the defeat of the demon Kansa, are still cherished and retold today.

Beyond his playful nature, Krishna was a profound philosopher and spiritual guide. The Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, a warrior facing a moral dilemma on the battlefield. In this text, Krishna imparts timeless wisdom on topics such as duty, karma, devotion, and the path to liberation. His teachings continue to inspire and guide millions of people worldwide.

Janmashtami is a celebration of divine love, compassion, and wisdom. It is a time to connect with our inner selves and to seek guidance from the divine. The festival also serves as a reminder of the importance of duty, righteousness, and the triumph of good over evil.

As we celebrate Janmashtami, let us remember the divine birth of Lord Krishna and the profound lessons he taught us. May his love, compassion, and wisdom inspire us to lead more meaningful and fulfilling lives. Let us strive to be like Krishna, always seeking the divine, embracing our duties, and spreading love and kindness to all.

Happy Janmashtami!

7 Reasons Why We Celebrate Janmashtami

Janmashtami, a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of Lord Krishna, is celebrated with great fervour worldwide. Here are seven reasons why we celebrate this auspicious occasion:

  • Divine Birth: The festival marks the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. His birth is considered a significant event in Hindu mythology.
  • Symbol of Hope and Protection: Krishna is often seen as a protector of the good and a destroyer of evil. His birth is celebrated as a symbol of hope and protection for humanity.
  • Celebration of Love and Compassion: Krishna’s life is filled with stories of love, compassion, and wisdom. The festival is an opportunity to celebrate these virtues.
  • Cultural Significance: Janmashtami is a major cultural event in many parts of India, with colourful decorations, traditional dances, and delicious food.
  • Spiritual Significance: For many Hindus, Janmashtami is a time for spiritual reflection and connection with the divine.
  • Celebration of Childhood: The festival is often associated with the playful childhood of Krishna. It is a time to embrace joy and innocence.
  • Family and Community Bonding: Janmashtami is a time for families and communities to come together and celebrate. It strengthens social bonds and fosters a sense of belonging.

Check more speech topics here:

Janmashtami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. It is a major religious event observed with great fervour in India and other parts of the world.

The moral of Janmashtami is often interpreted as a celebration of: Krishna’s love for his devotees is a central theme. It teaches us the importance of unconditional love and devotion. Krishna’s battles against evil forces emphasise the need for courage and bravery in the face of adversity.

Krishna’s main message is often summarised in the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text. It is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna, a warrior facing a moral dilemma on the battlefield.

We hope this blog on speech on Janmashtami provided you with relevant speeches. For more information on such informative topics, visit our speech writing page and follow Leverage Edu.

' src=

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

what is a speech in english

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

what is a speech in english

Resend OTP in

what is a speech in english

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

January 2024

September 2024

What is your budget to study abroad?

what is a speech in english

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Have something on your mind?

what is a speech in english

Make your study abroad dream a reality in January 2022 with

what is a speech in english

India's Biggest Virtual University Fair

what is a speech in english

Essex Direct Admission Day

Why attend .

what is a speech in english

Don't Miss Out

Icono de reloj

--> teleSUR English --> HD --> -->