spoken
adj. · v.-
1 oral communication (adj.) B1 Intermediaterelating to talking rather than writing.
relating to or expressed through oral communication as opposed to written text.
ExampleThe exam has both a written part and a spoken part.
ExampleThe professor emphasized that spoken language often follows different grammatical conventions than formal academic writing.
UsageUsually placed before the noun it describes.
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2 speaking in a certain way (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatehaving a specific style or way of talking.
characterised by a specified manner of speaking; almost always used with an adverb.
ExampleShe is a very soft-spoken person who never raises her voice.
ExampleThe plain-spoken diplomat was respected for his directness, even when his messages were difficult for the committee to hear.
UsageTypically appears as the second part of a hyphenated compound adjective.
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3 past action of speaking (v.) A2 Elementarythe past participle of 'speak', used after 'have' or 'be'.
the past participle of the irregular verb 'speak'.
ExampleI have already spoken to the manager about the problem.
ExampleBy the time the meeting concluded, every member of the board had spoken their mind regarding the proposed merger.
- said
- uttered
PitfallI have spoke to him already.I have spoken to him already.The past participle 'spoken' must be used with the auxiliary verb 'have' in perfect tenses, not the simple past 'spoke'.
Morphologically spoke + -n.