Do you have a minute to spare to learn some English? What’s the difference between speak and talk? Phil’s going to talk us through it. Give us 60 seconds and we’ll give you the English!
Speak vs Talk
It often doesn’t matter whether we use speak or talk, but there are some differences between them.
The action itself
Speak can refer to the action itself.
- I speak Spanish really well.
- I speak Russian badly.
Formality
Speak can refer to something more formal than talk.
- I spoke to my students about grammar.
- I talked to my friends over coffee.
Conversation
Talk suggests that the action is a conversation.
- My friend and I talked about work.
Set phrases:
There are some expressions that we only use with speak or talk. For example: speak out (say you don’t like something) or talk rubbish (say things that aren’t true)
- At the meeting, the workers spoke out about their lack of a pay rise.
- The politician said the building would be finished soon, but he’s talking rubbish.