speech

speech 主要指“说话、言语”这一能力或行为，也可指一次正式演讲；在语言学中还可表示口语或被引用的话语。

💡 记忆钩子

把 speech 想成“从嘴里出来的语言”：它首先是说话的能力和说话本身，集中成一段公开表达就是“一次演讲”，强调不用文字而用声音表达时又是“口语”。

📝 学习建议

先掌握不可数的“说话、言语”和可数的“一次演讲”，再学习语言学中的“口语、引语”等用法。
不要把 speech 一律理解成“演讲”；在表示一般说话或口语时通常不可数，而表示一次正式演讲时常用可数形式。

📖 中文释义

noun

core 说话能力

📖 指人用声音说出词语、进行交流的能力；这里关注的是“能不能说、说话是否受影响”，而不是某一次具体讲话。

💡 常见搭配是 speech ability、speech development 和 a speech impediment；表示能力或功能时通常不可数。若要说某个人说出的一句话或一段话，不用这个义项，而要用 words、remark 或 statement 等词。

uncountable

The injury affected her speech.

这次受伤影响了她的说话能力。
core 说话；言语方式

📖 指实际说话这一行为，或一个人说话时的声音、速度和表达方式；它仍然是从嘴里出来的语言这一核心概念。

💡 常见结构是 hear、understand、interrupt 或 imitate someone’s speech；此义通常不可数。不要把它和 talk 完全等同：speech 更强调言语本身或说话方式，talk 更常指交谈这一活动。

uncountable

Her speech was so quiet that I could barely hear her.

她说话声音太小了，我几乎听不见。

The actor changed his speech for the role.

那名演员为了这个角色改变了说话方式。
core 演讲；讲话

📖 指一个人在公众面前连续说出的一段正式话语；普通的 speech 是“说话”，集中起来面对听众就是“一次演讲”。

💡 常见结构是 give、make、deliver 或 hear a speech，表示一次讲话时通常用 a speech。它比 talk 更正式，通常有准备好的主题和听众；不要说 make a speech 来表示任何普通聊天。

countable

She gave a short speech at the award ceremony.

她在颁奖典礼上发表了简短讲话。

His speech focused on the need for better schools.

他的演讲重点谈到了改善学校的需要。
rare 方言；语言

📖 在较旧或文学性的用法中，speech 可以指某个民族、地区或群体所使用的语言或方言，也就是“从嘴里出来的那套语言”。

💡 常见于文学、历史或仿古语境，现代日常英语通常用 language、dialect 或 way of speaking。不要在普通对话中用 speech 表示现代语言名称。

countable
common 口语

📖 指实际说出来的语言，相对于书面文字；强调语言是通过声音使用的，而不是写在纸面或屏幕上。

💡 常见结构是 in speech、in spoken speech 或 be used in speech；这里通常不可数。若要说“口语中的某个表达”，也可以使用 spoken English 或 spoken language，避免把 speech 误解为一次演讲。

uncountable

This expression is common in speech but rare in formal writing.

这个表达在口语中很常见，但在正式书面语中很少见。
common 引语；话语

📖 在语言学和语法中，指被引用或转述出来的说话内容，例如直接引语或间接引语；重点仍是“被说出来的语言”。

💡 常见于 direct speech 和 reported speech 等术语；可数或不可数取决于它指一段具体引语还是引语这一类现象。学习语法时不要把它和 speech 作为“演讲”混为一谈。

countable uncountable

In reported speech, the tense often changes.

在间接引语中，时态通常会发生变化。
rare 传闻；议论

📖 在古旧或文学语境中，speech 还可泛指人们口头流传的议论、消息或传闻，仍然来自“人们说出来的话”。

💡 这种用法在现代日常英语中很少见，通常用 rumor、gossip、talk 或 report。看到它时要结合上下文判断，不要自动理解为正式演讲。

uncountable

speeches plural

verb

rare 发表演说；长篇劝说

📖 指以正式演说的方式发言，尤其是长篇地支持或反对某个观点；可以看作把名词 speech“演讲”直接用作动词。

💡 常见模式是 speech for、speech against 或 speech on a topic；它通常不适合现代普通交流。表达“发表演讲”时应优先使用 give a speech、make a speech 或 speak publicly。

intransitive transitive

speeches present,singular,third-person speeching participle,present speeched participle,past speeched past

📘 英文释义 (WordNet) 共 8 组

the mental faculty or power of vocal communication

同义词集: language speech

language sets homo sapiens apart from all other animals

上位: faculty, mental faculty, module

a lengthy rebuke;

同义词集: lecture speech talking to

a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline

the teacher gave him a talking to

上位: rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval 下位: preaching, sermon

words making up the dialogue of a play

同义词集: actor's line speech words

the actor forgot his speech

上位: line 下位: aside, cue, monologue, throwaway

your characteristic style or manner of expressing yourself orally; ;

同义词集: manner of speaking speech delivery

his manner of speaking was quite abrupt

her speech was barren of southernisms

I detected a slight accent in his speech

上位: expressive style, style 下位: address, catch, inflection, modulation, prosody, tone, tone of voice, tongue

(language) communication by word of mouth; ;

同义词集: speech speech communication spoken communication spoken language language voice communication oral communication

his speech was garbled

he uttered harsh language

he recorded the spoken language of the streets

下位: charm, conversation, discussion, expression, give-and-take, locution, magic spell, magical spell, monologue, orthoepy, pronunciation, saying, soliloquy, spell, word, words

the exchange of spoken words

同义词集: speech

they were perfectly comfortable together without speech

上位: speaking, speech production

something spoken

同义词集: speech

he could hear them uttering merry speeches

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

同义词集: address speech

he listened to an address on minor Roman poets

下位: discourse, impromptu, inaugural, inaugural address, lecture, litany, oral presentation, oratory, preaching, public lecture, public speaking, sermon, speaking, speechmaking, talk

🌳 词源

源自古英语，原本与“说话、语言”有关，和 speak 同源。

Proto-West Germanic *sprākī Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Germanic *-ō Proto-West Germanic *-u Proto-West Germanic *sprāku Old English sprǣċ Old English spǣċ Middle English speche English speech From Middle English speche, from Old English spǣċ, sprǣċ (“speech, discourse, language”), from Proto-West Germanic *sprāku (“speech, language”), from Proto-Indo-European *spereg-, *spreg- (“to make a sound”). Cognate with Dutch spraak (“speech”), German Sprache (“language, speech”). More at speak.

🔄 变式

speeched past speeches plural speeching present

🏷 单词标签 & 词根