# speaking

Pronunciation: say "SPEE-king" US /ˈspi.kɪŋ/, UK/AUS /ˈspiː.kɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of speak. — present participle and gerund of speak
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of speak. Use this -ing form for an action happening now.
   - _He was speaking quietly so the baby would not wake._
   - _Speaking in front of a crowd makes many people nervous._

## Adjective

2. Able to use and communicate in a given language.
   - Simple: Able to talk in a certain language well enough to get by.
   - _He has a speaking grasp of Portuguese, though he cannot write it._
   - _Her speaking fluency in German impressed the interview panel._
3. Relating to or involving the act of talking, as a role or engagement.
   - Simple: Having to do with talking out loud, like a part in a play.
   - _Only one extra was given a speaking role in the film._
   - _The conference filled its program with speaking sessions._
5. Employed in the act of talking, as a voice or tone.
   - Simple: Used for talking rather than for singing or other sounds.
   - _The actor lowered his speaking pitch to play the older man._
   - _An old speaking tube once carried orders to the kitchen below._
6. Able to produce speech; capable of talking.
   - Simple: Able to talk or make words.
   - _Legends across the world tell of speaking animals who give advice._
   - _The robot was a speaking machine that answered simple questions._
9. Vividly expressive, as a look or image that conveys much without words.
   - Simple: Showing feelings so clearly it is almost like talking.
   - _A speaking glance passed between them across the crowded room._
   - _The sculptor produced a speaking likeness of the young queen._

## Noun

4. The act of communicating by voice.
   - Simple: The act of talking out loud to other people.
   - _Clear speaking matters more than a loud voice in a small room._
   - _The coach worked on his speaking before the big presentation._
7. A person's ability to communicate by voice in a particular language.
   - Simple: The skill of talking in a language.
   - _His French speaking lagged behind his strong reading comprehension._
   - _The course devotes extra hours to speaking before the oral test._
10. A spoken performance or recitation, such as of a story.
   - Simple: A telling of a story or poem out loud.
   - _The elder's speaking of the creation tale lasted nearly an hour._
   - _Visitors gathered for a candlelit speaking of the ghost story._

## Interjection

8. Used to answer a telephone, confirming that you are the very person the caller has asked for.
   - Simple: A reply on the phone that means you are the person the caller wants.
   - _"Could I reach the head of sales?" "Speaking."_
   - _She picked up the receiver, heard her name, and answered, "Speaking."_

## Origin

**Meanings 2–3, 5–6, 9** — This developed from Middle English spekinge, from Old English specende or sprecende ("speaking"), the present participle of Proto-Germanic *sprekaną ("to speak"). It is equivalent to "speak" plus "-ing," and is related to Dutch sprekend and German sprechend.
**Meanings 4, 7, 10** — This comes from Middle English speking, and is equivalent to "speak" plus the suffix "-ing."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/speaking (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).