TW Dictionary logoTW Dictionaryby Toppers' Wisdom

speech

/spiːtʃ/noun

उच्चारण स्पीच

भाषण, वक्तव्य

Basic wordPYP · asked 22 times

Asked in previous papers

as synonym

SSC CGL Pre 2025SSC CGL Pre 2024SSC CGL Pre 2023SSC CGL Mains 2022SSC CGL Pre 2022
+17 moreSSC CGL Pre 2020SSC CGL Pre 2019SSC CPO Pre 2024SSC CPO Pre 2023SSC CPO Mains 2021SSC CPO Pre 2019SSC CHSL Pre 2025SSC CHSL Pre 2024SSC MTS 2024SSC MTS 2023SSC MTS 2019SSC Steno 2025SSC Selection Post Phase 13 2025SSC Selection PostSSC Delhi Police 2026SSC Exams 2018SSC Exams before 2018
nounspeeches
  1. 1

    [C] ~ (on/about sth)

    a formal talk that a person gives to an audience

    भाषण, वक्तव्य

    • The principal gave a short speech on discipline.
    • the President's speech to the nation
    • The chief guest made a long speech at the annual function.
    + 2 more examples
    • Radhika won first prize in the speech competition.
    • The minister's speech was broadcast live on television.

    Synonyms address talk oration

  2. 2

    [U]

    the ability to speak; the way in which somebody speaks

    बोलने की शक्ति; बोली, बोलने का ढंग

    • The stroke affected his speech.
    • Her speech was slow and clear.
    • His speech became slurred when he was tired.
    + 2 more examples
    • Free speech is important in a democracy.
    • After the surgery, the child had to learn to improve her speech.

    Synonyms speaking utterance diction

    Opposite silence muteness

  3. 3

    [U]

    spoken language, as opposed to writing

    बोलचाल की भाषा (लेखन के विपरीत)

    • In speech we often drop the final letters of words.
    • Children learn speech much earlier than they learn to read and write.
    • In everyday speech, people often use short forms such as don't and can't.
    + 2 more examples
    • This is a word used in speech but rarely in writing.
    • Reported speech is an important topic in grammar.

    Synonyms spoken language talk

    Opposite writing

  4. 4

    [C]

    a group of lines that an actor speaks in a play

    (नाटक में) पात्र का संवाद या भाषण

    • Hamlet's most famous speech begins 'To be or not to be'.
    • The young actor forgot the first line of his long speech on stage.
    • The actor learnt his long speech in a single evening.
    + 2 more examples
    • Radhika's speech in the school play made the audience laugh.
    • The villain's speech in the last scene was the best part of the drama.

    Synonyms lines monologue soliloquy

§Structures (grammar patterns) 4

give / make / deliver a speech

These are the usual verbs with speech. The verb say is not used with speech, and a speech is delivered to an audience.

'Speech' के साथ give, make और deliver क्रियाएँ आती हैं; 'say a speech' नहीं कहा जाता, और भाषण श्रोताओं को दिया जाता है।

  • The principal gave a speech on Independence Day.

a speech on / about / to

On or about names the topic of the speech, while to names the audience that listens.

'On' या 'about' भाषण का विषय बताता है, जबकि 'to' सुनने वाले श्रोताओं को बताता है।

  • Radhika gave a speech on water conservation to the students.

speech (uncountable) vs speeches

As the ability to talk or the way of talking, speech is uncountable. For formal talks it is countable and can be plural.

बोलने की क्षमता या बोलने के ढंग के अर्थ में 'speech' अगणनीय है; औपचारिक भाषण के अर्थ में यह गणनीय है और plural हो सकता है।

  • Freedom of speech is a fundamental right.

direct speech / indirect speech

In grammar, speech means the words someone says. Direct speech repeats the exact words; indirect speech reports them with changed tense and pronouns.

व्याकरण में 'speech' का अर्थ किसी के बोले हुए शब्द हैं; direct speech वही शब्द दोहराता है, जबकि indirect speech उन्हें tense और pronoun बदलकर प्रस्तुत करता है।

  • Change the direct speech into indirect speech.
+Collocations 4

adjective + speech

openingfarewellkeynoteinspiringshortmaiden

  • The chief guest delivered a keynote speech.

अवसर और प्रकृति बताने के लिए ये विशेषण आते हैं।

verb + speech

writepreparedeliverapplaudinterrupt

  • He prepared the speech in Hindi.

speech + noun

therapybubblecontestdefectmarks

  • She won the school speech contest.

speech + of / by

freedom of speechfigure of speechpart of speechspeech by the minister

  • A metaphor is a figure of speech.
“More examples 5
  • The Prime Minister's speech was broadcast live.

प्रधानमंत्री का भाषण सीधे प्रसारित किया गया।

  • After the accident he lost the power of speech for a week.

दुर्घटना के बाद एक सप्ताह के लिए उसकी वाणी चली गई।

  • Direct speech is written within inverted commas.

Direct speech को inverted commas के भीतर लिखा जाता है।

  • The audience clapped loudly at the end of her speech.

उसके भाषण के अंत में श्रोताओं ने ज़ोरदार तालियाँ बजाईं।

  • A noun is a part of speech.

संज्ञा एक part of speech है।

!Common mistakes 3

✗ He said a speech in the assembly.

✓ He gave a speech in the assembly.

The correct verbs with speech are give, make and deliver; say is not used.

'Speech' के साथ सही क्रियाएँ give, make और deliver हैं; 'say' का प्रयोग नहीं होता।

✗ The speeches are an art.

✓ Speech is an art.

For the general idea of talking, the uncountable form is used with a singular verb.

बोलने के सामान्य विचार के लिए अगणनीय रूप और singular क्रिया का प्रयोग होता है।

✗ He gave a speech about the history in the school.

✓ He gave a speech on history at the school.

Use on for the subject and at for the place, and do not add the before history.

विषय के लिए 'on', स्थान के लिए 'at' लगाएँ, और history से पहले 'the' न जोड़ें।

≠Thesaurus: which synonym when

Speech, address and lecture are all spoken talks, but they differ in purpose and audience.

Speech, address और lecture तीनों बोले गए भाषण हैं, पर उद्देश्य और श्रोताओं में अंतर है।

speech

A formal talk to an audience on an occasion.

किसी अवसर पर श्रोताओं को दिया गया औपचारिक भाषण।

  • The speech lasted ten minutes.

address

A formal speech, usually by an important person.

औपचारिक भाषण, प्रायः किसी महत्त्वपूर्ण व्यक्ति द्वारा।

  • The President's address was televised.

lecture

A talk meant to teach, often at a college.

पढ़ाने के उद्देश्य से दिया गया व्याख्यान, प्रायः महाविद्यालय में।

  • The lecture was on poetry.
◇Word family
≈Synonyms and antonyms
§Grammar and usage

Direct and indirect speech (narration) is a fixed question type; parts of speech are the eight word classes.

Direct और indirect speech (narration) तय प्रश्न है; parts of speech आठ शब्द-वर्ग हैं।

✓In the exam

One-word substitution

A speech made without preparation is extempore or impromptu; a speech to oneself on stage is a soliloquy; a speech in praise of the dead is a eulogy.

बिना तैयारी का भाषण extempore या impromptu, मंच पर स्वयं से बोलना soliloquy और मृतक की प्रशंसा में भाषण eulogy है।