Verbs for Vocalizing · Verbs: Verbal Action

to speak very softly or quietly, usually to avoid being overheard by others who are nearby

"Do not whisper in class."

"The students whispered quietly to each other while the teacher was writing on the board because they did not want to be caught."

to speak in a low, soft voice, often in a way that is difficult to hear or understand

"He spoke a murmur."

"The gentle breeze murmured through the trees creating a soft and peaceful sound in the quiet forest."

to speak in a low or unclear voice, often so that the words are difficult to understand

"Do not mumble when you speak."

"The shy boy mumbled his answer so softly that the teacher could not understand what he was trying to say."

to produce sounds or words with one's voice

"Babies vocalize their needs by crying."

"The baby is just beginning to vocalize simple sounds like ba and ma which makes her parents very happy indeed."

to repeat or perform something again, often to make it clearer, better, or to emphasize specific points

"Please iterate the instructions once more."

"The teacher iterated the instructions several times because the students still seemed confused about what to do."

to say a word or words incorrectly, especially with regards to the proper pronunciation

"Do not mispronounce her foreign name."

"Many foreign learners mispronounce the word salmon because the letter L is completely silent in English."

to pronounce words clearly and correctly

"The speaker enounces each syllable clearly."

"The drama teacher asked each student to enounce every word clearly during the performance."

to clearly and correctly articulate words

"Please enunciate clearly when speaking."

"The acting coach told her students to enunciate every single syllable clearly so that the audience could understand every word perfectly."

to make random, meaningless sounds

"The baby babbled happily all day."

"The confused patient began to babble nonsense after waking up from the anesthesia and the nurses could not understand a single word that he said."

to speak rapidly and unintelligibly, often producing meaningless sounds

"The terrified witness gibbers incoherently."

"The frightened witness began to gibber incoherently when asked to describe what she had seen during the terrifying crime."

to talk rapidly and excitedly, often in a senseless manner

"The baby jabbered nonsense all day."

"The man on the train would not stop jabbering on his phone loudly about his personal problems disturbing all the other passengers around him."

to talk continuously and aimlessly

"He maundered about his past."

"The elderly gentleman would often maunder about his childhood memories for hours on end."

to shout or speak suddenly and strongly, often expressing a strong emotion

"What a beautiful day! she exclaims."

"Oh my goodness she exclaimed when she saw the beautiful engagement ring that her boyfriend had hidden in the dessert."

to speak with involuntary repetitive sounds or interruptions in the flow of speech

"The nervous child stutters during speech."

"The nervous young man stuttered when he tried to ask the pretty girl for her phone number at the coffee shop."

to say something from memory, such as a poem or speech

"The student recited the poem beautifully."

"The young student stood in front of the entire class and began to recite a famous poem from memory without making any mistakes."

to speak in a way that is not clear or easily heard

"He will mutter under his breath."

"The old man began to mutter incoherently about the good old days."

to make audible sounds without necessarily forming clear or meaningful words

"She will utter a sigh."

"The patient could only utter faint sounds after the surgery."

to pronounce or utter something in a clear and precise way

"Please articulate your words."

"It is important to articulate your thoughts clearly when presenting complex ideas to others."

to say the sound of a letter or word correctly or in a specific way

"How do you pronounce this word?"

"Many foreign learners struggle to pronounce the tricky English th sound correctly because it does not exist in their native language."

to talk rapidly and incoherently, making it hard for others to understand what is being said

"He raved about the movie."

"The food critic raved about the new restaurant in her review saying that the pasta was the best she had eaten in years and the service was excellent."

to make a sudden, uncontrolled vocal sound as a reaction to an emotion

"She lets out a joyful scream."

"The injured player let out a loud cry of pain when he landed awkwardly on his twisted ankle."

(of a bird or an animal) to produce a characteristic sound

"The bird will call."

"The distinctive call of the cuckoo echoed through the dense forest at dawn."

to shout something

"He will call out for help."

"The crowd began to call out slogans of support for their team."

to release a long deep audible breath, to express one's sadness, tiredness, etc.

"She sighed with relief and happiness."

"She sighed with relief when she heard that her flight had been delayed and she would not miss it."

to say words or phrases repeatedly and in a rhythmic manner

"The crowd chanted the team's name."

"The protesters began to chant loudly outside the government building demanding immediate action on climate change."

to talk in a low, soft voice, particularly to express contentment or to convey seductive charm

"The cat purrs contentedly on the lap."

"The contented cat purred loudly while its owner gently stroked its soft fur behind the ears."