Basic Details
Word: Spoken
Part of Speech: Verb (past participle); also adjective
Meaning: Said aloud in words, rather than written down. It is the form of speak used after has, have, had or was.
Synonyms: oral, said, verbal
Antonyms: written, unspoken
How to Spell Spoken
Syllables: spo - ken
Tricky part: Students sometimes double the k (spokken) or write spokan. The vowel sound after p is a long o, shown by a single o.
Watch out for: spokken, spokan, spokn
Memory tip: Break, broke, broken; speak, spoke, spoken. The same pattern gives the same ending, en.
Idioms and Phrases
- soft-spoken: speaking in a gentle, quiet voice Example: "Our soft-spoken librarian never needs to raise her voice."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Has the principal spoken to your parents about the trip?
Example 2: Spoken English is often more relaxed than the English in our textbooks.
Example 3: Tamil is spoken by millions of people in Sri Lanka as well as in India.
Fun Fact
Older English often used spake as the past tense of speak, as in early Bible translations; spoke and spoken took over later.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:
At home my grandparents prefer Marathi, but English is nkopse at my school.
a) spoken
b) token
c) spokes
d) broken
Show answer
a) spoken. Spokes would need a second s and no n, and token and broken lack the s and p.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the correctly spelt word:
1. spoken 2. pronounciation 3. grammer 4. acsent
a) a way of speaking typical of a place
b) the way a word is said
c) the rules of a language
d) said aloud in words
Show answer
d) said aloud in words. Pronunciation drops the o of pronounce, accent starts with acc and grammar finishes with ar; spoken needs no change.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
spokken
a) n
b) s
c) o
d) k
Show answer
d) k. One k is enough, just as in broken.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which word is the opposite of spoken in 'a spoken message'?
a) told
b) loud
c) written
d) heard
Show answer
c) written
2. Someone who is described as outspoken ____.
a) says what they think openly
b) speaks only in whispers
c) speaks many languages
d) never says a word
Show answer
a) says what they think openly
