What does utterance mean?
Word: Utterance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Utterance means something that a person says, or the act of saying something out loud.
Synonyms: statement, comment, word
Antonyms: silence
How do you spell utterance?
Syllables: ut - ter - ance
Tricky part: The t is doubled and the ending is -ance, not -ence. Students write uterance or utterence.
Watch out for: uterance, utterence, utteranse
Memory tip: Performance, appearance and utterance all end in -ance: picture an actor's every utterance on stage as part of the performance.
Utterance in a sentence
Example 1: The baby's first clear utterance was 'ma'.
Example 2: Every utterance of the minister was recorded by the reporters.
Example 3: Her angry utterance at the meeting surprised everyone in the room.
Fun Fact
Language scientists use utterance for any piece of speech with a pause before and after it, even a single word like 'Oh'.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. utterance 2. pronounciation 3. eloquance 4. vocabularly
a) all the words that a person knows
b) skill in speaking well and persuasively
c) words spoken aloud by someone
d) the way in which a word is spoken
Show answer
c) words spoken aloud by someone. Pronunciation drops the o of pronounce, vocabulary has no l before the y, and eloquence ends in -ence.
Word Cookie
One letter in this word is not needed. Find it:
utterrance
a) e
b) t
c) a
d) r
Show answer
d) r. Only one r belongs here, right after the e.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word utterance as used in the sentence:
The shy toddler's only utterance at the party was a quiet 'thank you' for the balloon.
a) signal
b) glance
c) remark
d) gesture
Show answer
c) remark. Thank you is said aloud, so it counts as a remark; a glance or a gesture needs no words.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The quizmaster asked the team to repeat their last rneetuatc more clearly.
a) endurance
b) assurance
c) utterance
d) entrance
Show answer
c) utterance. The u and the two t's are the clue: entrance, endurance and assurance have no double t at all.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these counts as an utterance?
a) a nod of the head
b) a call of 'Wait for me'
c) a smile across a room
d) a wave of the hand
Show answer
b) a call of 'Wait for me'
2. In the phrase 'utter nonsense', the word utter means ____.
a) foreign
b) spoken
c) complete
d) early
Show answer
c) complete
