# spoken

/ˈspoʊkən/ (US) · /spˈəʊkən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spoken
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. oral communication

adjective · CEFR B1

relating to talking rather than writing.

For teachers: relating to or expressed through oral communication as opposed to written text.

- The exam has both a written part and a spoken part.
- The professor emphasized that spoken language often follows different grammatical conventions than formal academic writing.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it describes.

### 2. speaking in a certain way

adjective · CEFR B2

having a specific style or way of talking.

For teachers: characterised by a specified manner of speaking; almost always used with an adverb.

- She is a very soft-spoken person who never raises her voice.
- The plain-spoken diplomat was respected for his directness, even when his messages were difficult for the committee to hear.

Usage: Typically appears as the second part of a hyphenated compound adjective.

### 3. past action of speaking

verb · CEFR A2

the past participle of 'speak', used after 'have' or 'be'.

For teachers: the past participle of the irregular verb 'speak'.

- I have already spoken to the manager about the problem.
- By the time the meeting concluded, every member of the board had spoken their mind regarding the proposed merger.

## Examples

- She has spoken to the manager about the problem.
- By the time the meeting ended, every member of the committee had spoken at least once regarding the new policy.
- The difference between the spoken word and the written text lies in the immediate, often irreversible nature of oral delivery compared to the curated precision of prose.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.