A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

speak aloud • speak loud
speak aloud —speak in a normal voice rather than quietly or
in a whisper: You must never speak aloud in theaters, I was told.
speak loud —speak in a voice that is above normal in volume:
He spoke loud enough for most of the audience to hear him.
speak at someone • speak to someone
speak at someone —speak to a person without paying atten-
tion to his reaction: Is this person listening to me? Is he speak-
ing at me, down to me, or with me? Is this a caring person I
can trust?
speak to someone —
1
. address a person: The skinny ugly
woman suddenly spoke to me: “You like black women?” I was
shocked at the out-of-nowhere question. 2. (also: speak with
someone) have a conversation with a person: She had to speak
to them in Urdu and they probably only knew Kashmiri. 3.
(also: speak with someone) admonish or scold a person: Your
secretary was late again this morning — you’d better speak to
her about it. 4. make a speech directed to an audience: It was
announced that the Prime Minister would speak to the nation
on television.
speak broad • speak broadly
speak broad —(UK) speak with a strong accent showing that
a speaker is from a definite part of the country: Parents who
speak “broad” Shetlandic to their children may nevertheless
scoff at the idea that it might be of any value.
speak broadly— speak in general terms rather than specific
details: I tried to find laureates who could represent some of
the scientific turning points of the last century and who could
speak broadly about science.
speak by the book • speak like a book
speak by the book —speak accurately, with care as to facts: I
knew him for many years, and I speak by the book of the man.
He could write nothing that he did not at least feel to be true.
speak like a book —use literary or pedantic language in con-
versation: “If you can contrive to affect to be angry with him
for his extravagance, it will do good.” “You speak like a book,
and I’ll try my best.”