We don’t just “speak” in English… instead, we yell, mumble, snap, whine, and more. Each of these words describes a different WAY of speaking, and learning them will really level up your vocabulary!
So today I’ll teach you 20 different English words that describe the many and varied ways we communicate using our tone of voice, facial expression and attitude.
First we’ll look at 5 words for speaking loudly:
yell / shout / scream / shriek / wail
You might do one of these if you are:
- Communicating with someone who is far away (usually yell / shout)
“The soccer coach shouted instructions to the players on the field.” - Angry (usually yell, shout, or scream)
“My boss yelled at me after I missed an important deadline.” - Afraid or surprised (usually scream / shriek)
“Barbara shrieked when she found a giant spider in her bed.” - In pain (usually scream / shriek / wail)
“The little boy started screaming when he accidentally closed his finger in the car door.” - Sad (usually wail)
“You’ve never cared about me!” she wailed.
Scream and shriek can also refer to making loud vocal sounds that are not words (especially in the case of fear, surprise, or pain) and wailing can also simply mean crying very loudly, you can say “The baby was wailing until he got his bottle.”
roar / bellow
A couple more words for loud speech are roar and bellow. These are often done when someone is VERY angry or in distress, and while “scream” and “shriek” imply a higher tone, roar and bellow – especially bellow – usually imply more of a deep voice. Roar is the same word we use for the sound a lion makes, and bellow can also be used for the sound of a bull.
- “What do you MEAN you crashed my new car?” my father bellowed.
cheer
= yell / shout in a happy/excited way
People often cheer at sports games and after a great music/theater performance:
- “Everyone cheered when the Brazilian team scored a goal.”
whisper
= speak extremely quietly
You would whisper in a movie theater so as not to disturb the other people – or when you don’t want anyone else to hear what you’re saying.
hiss
= whisper or talk softly in an aggressive or angry way. Hiss is the same word we use for the sound a snake makes.
- “Shut up!” he hissed.
snarl / growl
= two more words for speaking angrily, at normal volume. Again, these are words we also use for aggressive sounds by animals like dogs and bears, as well as for people who speak angrily.
- “That’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen,” she snarled.
- “You’d better not come here again,” he growled.
curse / swear
= say “bad words” which I’m not going to repeat here, so let’s just see some example sentences:
- She swore at the driver who cut her off in traffic.
- He’s verbally abusive – always cursing at his wife and kids.
mumble / mutter / murmur
To mumble is to speak quietly and not clearly, without opening your mouth very much
People often mumble when they don’t want to talk, or when they’re nervous, embarrassed, or have low confidence in general.
- “My son mumbled an apology to my daughter after breaking her favorite toy.”
When we mutter, we are usually complaining and saying negative things, whereas murmur is neutral, just speaking in a quiet voice.
- “He left the store muttering about the terrible customer service.”
- “My piano teacher murmured a few words of encouragement to me before I went on stage to perform.”
whine
= complain in an annoying, high-pitched voice
- “My kids started whining when I told them they couldn’t watch TV until they had finished their homework.”
(“But mooooom, that’s not faaaaiiir, I’ll miss my favorite show!”)
moan
= complaining or expressing frustration in more of a normal or lower-pitched voice.
- “Ugh, the store is closed,” she moaned. “Now I’ll have to wait till Monday to do the shopping!”
whimper
= describes speaking in a soft and sad voice, like you’re crying a little bit while speaking
- “What’s wrong?” I asked my daughter.
“I bumped my head on the wall,” she whimpered.
ramble
= speak continuously for a long time with too many details or different topics
- “You shouldn’t ramble during a job interview. Try to keep your answers concise and relevant.”
chat
= have an informal conversation
You can use “chat” for informal conversations both online and offline.
- “The teacher was chatting with a few students in the hallway.”
stutter / stammer
= speak repeating some sounds
If someone says: “P-p-please don’t d-do that” – they are stuttering or stammering.
Some people do this frequently because they have a speech problem, and other people do it occasionally when they are extremely afraid or nervous.
gossip
= talk about other peoples’ lives, especially negative things or secret details
- “My neighbor loves to gossip – I think she’s got some dirt on everyone who lives in this apartment building.” (“Dirt” is a slang word for some scandalous or secret information)
Gossip is both a verb and a noun for this type of speaking.
snap (at someone)
= say a quick phrase in an annoyed/angry way
- “When I asked my wife if dinner was ready, she snapped at me.”
(“If you want dinner, make it yourself!”)
beg / plead
= ask with a lot of emotion.
- “Please forgive me,” he pleaded.
- She begged for an extension of the deadline.
Now you know 20 different words for different ways of speaking and communicating! Can you create your own example sentences?
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