spoken language
Oral human expression
Spoken language is human communication through vocalized sounds, as opposed to written, signed, or other forms of language.
The term often emphasizes the primacy of speech—all natural languages exist first as spoken forms, with writing as a secondary representation.
Spoken language develops naturally in children without formal instruction.
- conversationExchange of spoken ideas
- face to faceIn someone's presence
- vernacularEveryday regional speech
- sayingShort, wise expression
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
small talk · creole · prosody · verbal communication · oral tradition · word of mouth · code-switching · native speakers · regional dialects · phonetics · expression · slip of the tongue · dictation · storytelling · talk show · pronunciation · pidgin · words
- language varietiesdialect, idiolect, sociolect, vernacular, accent
- languageword, words, grammar, spelling, alphabet
- language usejargon, idiom, idioms, slang, dialect
- listeningactive listening, attentive, listening skills, listening comprehension, focused attention
- language educationbiliteracy, immersion, literacy skills, reading, immersion school
- dialectsregional dialect, local dialect, patois, vernaculars, vernacular
spoken languagewritten language
Communication through inscribed symbols
writing · sign language · text · written word · written communication
spoken languagewritten language
Communication through inscribed symbols
written record · literature · manuscript · epigraphy · written tradition
speech, language, speaker, spoken, speaking, unspoken, outspoken, tongues, unspeakable