Browse by letter
English Words Starting With S
15,552 entries — pick a word to see its definition, pronunciation, and usage.
Filter
Parts of speech
- spectrum disorder/ˈspɛktrəm dɪsˈɔːdə/A medical or psychological condition characterized by a range of symptoms, behaviors, or traits that vary in intensity and type, existing on a continuum rather than as discrete categories.nounMedium in academic and technical contexts, low in everyday usage.
- speculate/ˈspek.jə.leɪt/To form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence; to think about possibilities.verbverb-intransitiveC1
- speculation/ˌspek.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/The forming of a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence.nounB2
- speculative fiction/ˌspɛkjʊlətɪv ˈfɪkʃən/A broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, futuristic, or other imaginative elements that do not exist in the real world.nounC1
- speculative philosophy/ˈspɛkjʊlətɪv fɪˈlɒsəfi/A branch of philosophy that deals with fundamental questions about reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language, often through abstract reasoning rather than empirical observation.nounC2
- speculator/ˈspɛkjʊleɪtə/A person who invests in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of making a quick, large profit, typically assuming significant risk.nounC1
- speculum/ˈspɛkjʊləm/A medical instrument used to examine body cavities, especially the vagina or anus.nounLow
- speculum metal/ˈspɛkjʊləm ˈmɛtəl/An alloy of copper and tin used for making mirrors due to its high reflectivity.nounRare
- sped/spɛd/The simple past tense and past participle of the verb 'speed', meaning to move quickly or to proceed at a rapid rate.verbMedium
- spee/spiː/To inspect, examine, or look over carefully. Also, in hunting dialect, to search for game.nounObsolete / Dialectal / Extremely Rare
- speech/spiːtʃ/the expression of thoughts and feelings through spoken languagenounHigh
- speech act/ˈspiːtʃ ˌækt/An utterance considered as an action, performed by a speaker with a specific communicative intention (e.g., promising, apologising, ordering).nounC2
- speech center/ˈspiːtʃ ˌsen.tər/A region of the brain responsible for the production and comprehension of language.nounC1
- speech clinic/ˈspiːtʃ ˌklɪn.ɪk/A medical or therapeutic facility where diagnosis and treatment of speech, language, communication, and swallowing disorders are provided by speech-language pathologists.nounC1
- speech community/ˈspiːtʃ kəˌmjuːnəti/A group of people who share a set of linguistic norms and expectations regarding language use.nounC1
- speech correction/spiːtʃ kəˈrekʃən/The process of improving or fixing errors in spoken language.nounLow to medium frequency; primarily a technical term.
- speech day/ˈspiːtʃ ˌdeɪ/A formal school or college event, typically held annually, where prizes are awarded, speeches are given (often by a distinguished guest), and students may perform.nounC1/C2
- speech form/ˈspiːtʃ ˌfɔːm/The concrete, spoken realization of a word or utterance.nounC2
- speech from the throne/ˌspiːtʃ frəm ðə ˈθrəʊn/The formal address delivered by the monarch (or their representative) at the opening of a new parliamentary session, outlining the government's legislative agenda.nounC2
- speech island/ˈspiːtʃ ˌaɪlənd/A geographically isolated area where a specific language or dialect is spoken, surrounded by a region where a different, dominant language is used.nounC1/C2
Showing 9881–9900 of 15552 words.