Speak is the base verb for using your voice to communicate. It focuses on the act of talking, especially in a more formal, general, or ability sense. It does not usually emphasize a long conversation the way talk can.

Use speak for present time, habits, general facts, and future after will. It also appears after do and does in questions and negatives because the main verb stays in the base form. Speak is common with languages and in formal situations.

Rule	Example
Use for habits and general facts	I speak softly in meetings.
Use after do and does in negatives and questions	Do you speak French?
Use after will for the future	She will speak at the conference tomorrow.
Common with languages and formal contexts	He speaks Spanish at work.

Spoke is the simple past form of speak. Use it for completed actions at a specific past time. It often appears with time words like yesterday, last week, or in a clear past story sequence.

Rule	Example
Use for a finished past action	I spoke to my manager yesterday.
Use in past narratives and sequences	She arrived, spoke briefly, and left.
Common with specific past time markers	We spoke last night.

Spoken is the past participle of speak. Use it with have or has for the present perfect and with had for the past perfect. Spoken is also used in passive voice and as an adjective meaning expressed by voice rather than written.

Rule	Example
Use with have and has in the present perfect	I have spoken to her already.
Use with had in the past perfect	They had spoken before the meeting started.
Use in passive voice with be	English is spoken here.
Use as an adjective	This is a spoken agreement.

Perfect tenses connect a past action to a later time. With speak, they often describe experience, completed actions with relevance now, or earlier past actions. Spoken is required in all perfect forms, not spoke.

Rule	Example
Use have or has plus spoken for life experience or recent completion	She has spoken to the client twice.
Use had plus spoken for an action earlier than another past event	I had spoken to him before I moved.
Do not use spoke after have, has, or had	I have spoken, not I have spoke.

Use spoken in passive voice to focus on the language or message rather than the speaker. This is common for languages, rules, and general statements about communication. The structure is a form of be plus spoken.

Rule	Example
Use be plus spoken to emphasize what is used or communicated	Spanish is spoken in many countries.
Use was or were plus spoken for past passive	It was spoken quietly to avoid attention.
Add by plus agent if needed	The announcement was spoken by the host.

Speak often sounds more formal or focused on ability, speeches, and languages. Talk is more common for casual conversation and can suggest a longer exchange. Both can mean communicate, but their typical contexts differ.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
speak	use your voice in a formal or general way	She will speak at the event.
talk	have a conversation or informal exchange	We talked for an hour.
speak a language	have ability in a language	He speaks Korean.
speak to someone	address someone or contact someone	I need to speak to you.

Speak appears in frequent structures that guide meaning. Speak to focuses on addressing a person. Speak about introduces a topic. Speak up means talk louder or express an opinion more strongly.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
speak to	address or contact a person	I spoke to the receptionist.
speak about	discuss a topic in a formal or clear way	She spoke about climate policy.
speak up	speak louder or be more assertive	Please speak up, I cannot hear you.
speak at	give a speech or presentation in a place or event	He spoke at the graduation.

Speak begins with an sp cluster and a long ee vowel. Spoke has a long oh vowel, and spoken has stress on the first syllable with a reduced second vowel. Clear vowel length helps distinguish the three forms in speech.

Rule	Description	Notation	Example
Initial cluster	Keep s plus p together without adding a vowel	sp-	speak
Long ee in speak	The vowel is a long ee sound	iː	speak
Long oh in spoke	The vowel is a long oh sound	oʊ	spoke
Stress in spoken	Stress the first syllable and weaken the second	ˈspoʊ kən	spoken

Use speak for present and base form contexts, spoke for simple past, and spoken for perfect tenses, passive voice, and adjective use. These three forms cover most everyday needs for describing communication and language ability. Choosing the correct form mainly depends on whether you need past time, perfect aspect, or a passive structure.