Wordwyrt

speaker

/ˈspikə/SPEE-kur
/ˈspikɚ/SPEE-kur

Meaningone who speaks

Common meaning: a person who speaks

Other meanings: a loudspeaker

Journey through time

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sparg-‘crack, split, crackle, spring’source
  2. Old EnglishsprecansourceB&T
  3. Middle Englishspekensource
  4. Englishspeak‘to say words aloud’
  5. Englishformed in English from speakspeaker‘a person who speaks’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from speak + -er.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), SPEAK, p.578 · scan

Source words

  • sprecan Old English · source word “to speak”

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app