SPEECH

(SAY WORDS) [noun] [U] - the ability to talk, the activity of talking, or a piece of spoken languageChildren usually develop speech in the second year of life.People who suffer a stroke may experience a loss of speech.Your speech is also your way of talking.After he'd had a few drinks, his speech became slurred and indistinct.Speech can also mean the language used when talking.Expressions like 'you know' are used more in speech than in writing.A speech is a set of words spoken in a play.Hamlet's speech at the beginning of Act III starts "To be or not to be".Speech bubble (also balloon) is an approximately circular line drawn near the head of a character in a cartoon inside which the character's words or thoughts are written.A speech impediment is a difficulty in speaking clearly, such as a lisp or stammer.Speech therapy (also US speech) is the treatment of people who have difficulty in talking. A person who gives this treatment is called a speech therapist.After suffering head injuries in an accident, she was given speech therapy to help her learn to talk again.A speech therapist helped him overcome his stammer.John goes to speech (= speaking classes) three times a week.