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Like most languages, English has a lot of different verbs that all mean SPEAK in some way. The four most common ones – speak, tell, say, talk – can be confusing, which is why we wrote an entire post about them here.
But there are a lot of other, more precise verbs in English that you can use to mean “form words as communication.” The best verb to choose comes down to how you’re speaking and what you’re speaking about. Let’s look at some useful verbs of speaking in English.
Great Chatting With You!
If you have a conversation, you can also use the obviously related verb converse. That simply means to talk with someone, usually for a bit of time. You converse about something. If you want to use the noun conversation, you can say have a conversation.
- They conversed for hours over dinner and wine. They had a long conversation.
- We always converse about current events when we get together.
- During the summer, groups of people converse on benches or under trees in the park.
Chat is related to converse, but it has a much lighter feel. While you can converse for a long time about something personal or important, you usually chat more briefly about something lighthearted. The noun is also chat. You can chat, or you can have a chat.
- Whenever I see my neighbor we chat about our families.
- Tom always chats with the mail carrier when they see each other.
- We had a lovely chat about our summer plans.
Discuss is similar to converse, but it focuses on a particular topic. To converse is simply to have a conversation, but if you discuss something, you’re focusing on the topic of conversation. Don’t use any preposition with discuss. You discuss something. The noun form is discussion, as in have a discussion.
- What were you discussing when I came into the room?
- Let’s not discuss politics. It’s never pleasant.
- Mary and I had a long discussion about our her decision to quit her job.
I Don’t Want to Argue with You
If you’re discussing something that you don’t agree on, there are two common verbs you can use. Argue is discuss, but with a disagreement. An argument is usually not very pleasant. The preposition is about or over.
- I don’t want to argue with you about money. We’ll get angry at each other.
- Whenever we try to discuss politics, we argue about it instead. Let’s change the topic.
- We always have the same argument over what kind of movie to stream. We need to compromise.
Debate is similar to argue, but while an argument can be emotional, a debate is supposed to be calm, rational, and even formal. The noun is also debate, as in have a debate. You debate something, or have a debate about something.
- The presidential candidates are debating economic policies.
- I don’t want to debate climate change with random strangers online.
- “Nature vs. Nurture” is a very old debate.
Quarrel is also similar to argue, but while people usually argue about serious things, they quarrel about silly, everyday things.
- When we were kids, my sisters and I quarreled all the time, but as adults we’re very close.
- Sam and Laura have been married for thirty years. They quarrel about everything, but they love each other very much.
- Whenever we have to choose a restaurant, we end up quarreling.
What are you saying? Stop Mumbling!
To mumble is to speak unclearly. If you’re tired, or if you’re a teenager, you may mumble.
- Stop mumbling! Speak clearly, I can’t understand you.
- My son mumbled something before leaving for school, but I didn’t understand.
- Can you repeat that? You were mumbling and I have no idea what you said.
To mutter is to speak softly and angrily to oneself. You mutter something under your breath – meaning not out loud – when you want to show that you’re angry about something, but you don’t want to say anything directly.
- When I told Sam that I had changed my mind, he muttered something and walked out of my office.
- What did you just mutter under your breath? If you’re angry, say something, don’t mutter!
- The man muttered to himself and shook his head as he read the newspaper.
Slur is another verb that means speak unclearly. If someone has had too much to drink, they may start to slur their words, but slurring is any kind of unclear, careless way of speaking.
- Don’t have any more to drink. You’re slurring your words!
- Bob always slurs when he speaks. He never pronounces things carefully.
- She slurred something when she woke up, but I have no idea what she said.
Grumble sounds like mumble, but it means to complain or speak angrily rather than unclearly. Since you’re usually angry when you grumble, it also means to speak in a low tone.
- What are you grumbling about now? What’s wrong?
- Susan always grumbles if you talk to her in the morning before she has coffee.
- I’m sorry I grumbled at you before. I was tired and hungry.
Growl is another verb that means to speak angrily. Normally, animals growl when they’re angry or warning you to stay away from them, but people growl when they’re very angry, too.
- I went in to speak to my boss, but she just growled something about being busy.
- Dad always growls if you try to talk to him while he’s watching TV.
- Don’t growl at me like that! I didn’t do anything wrong!
To whisper means to speak very softly, for instance when you’re sharing a secret.
- What are you two whispering about?
- I have a secret! Can I whisper it in your ear?
- The kids are always whispering at the back of the classroom.
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