SPOKEN LANGUAGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spoken language mean? 

• SPOKEN LANGUAGE (noun)
  The noun SPOKEN LANGUAGE has 1 sense:

1. (language) communication by word of mouth

  Familiarity information: SPOKEN LANGUAGE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPOKEN LANGUAGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(language) communication by word of mouth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

language; oral communication; speech; speech communication; spoken communication; spoken language; voice communication

Context example:

he recorded the spoken language of the streets

Hypernyms ("spoken language" is a kind of...):

auditory communication (communication that relies on hearing)

Domain category:

language; linguistic communication (a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spoken language"):

words (the words that are spoken)

orthoepy; pronunciation (the way a word or a language is customarily spoken)

conversation (the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.)

discussion; give-and-take; word (an exchange of views on some topic)

expression; locution; saying (a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations)

non-standard speech (speech that differs from the usual accepted, easily recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech community)

idiolect (the language or speech of one individual at a particular period in life)

monologue (a long utterance by one person (especially one that prevents others from participating in the conversation))

charm; magic spell; magical spell; spell (a verbal formula believed to have magical force)

dictation (speech intended for reproduction in writing)

monologue; soliloquy (speech you make to yourself)

 Context examples 

The rhythms from the hand movements in ASL are substantially slower than that of spoken language.

(The Rhythms of Sign Language, NSF)

They took their hats off and made obeisance and many signs, which, however, I could not understand any more than I could their spoken language....

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A rare childhood syndrome characterized by the progressive or sudden inability to understand and use spoken language (aphasia) and paroxysmal electrical brain waves.

(Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

When humans listen to spoken language, the brain's auditory cortex activity adjusts to follow the rhythms of sentences.

(The Rhythms of Sign Language, NSF)

From an outside perspective, understanding a spoken language versus a signed language seems like it might involve entirely different brain processes.

(The Rhythms of Sign Language, NSF)

Previous studies have shown the rhythm of speech changes the rhythm of neural activity involved in understanding spoken language.

(The Rhythms of Sign Language, NSF)

While the natural rhythms in spoken language are similar to what might be considered the preferred frequency for the auditory cortex, this is not true for sign language and the visual cortex.

(The Rhythms of Sign Language, NSF)

Neural activity changes when a person is listening to spoken language — but the brain also locks onto random, meaningless bursts of sound in a very similar way and at a similar frequency.

(The Rhythms of Sign Language, NSF)