Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FREE-SPOKEN
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connect today's word to others:
Are you known for your ca__or: your habit of telling of the truth, matter-of-factly, without any fear of offending people? If so, you're free-spoken.
And if not, you might be more like me: ta___urn. In a group, we prefer to listen rather than get involved in the conversation. We're likely to keep our opinions to ourselves.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"FREE-SPOKEN"
Free-spoken people speak freely, saying exactly what they think without hiding anything or worrying about how other people will react.
Pronunciation:
free SPOKE in
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a free-spoken person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "He was free-spoken.")
Other forms:
free-speaker(s), free-speaking, free-spokenness
How to use it:
"Free-spoken" is a fun alternative to "outspoken" and "plainspoken." It's got a positive tone, even though free-spoken people, at times, make the rest of us all huffy and offended. And it's instantly understandable. Let's use it more often.
You might be free-spoken in a specific place or situation, or in the company of specific people. (Perhaps you're free-spoken with no one.) Or you might be free-spoken all the time, with a free-spoken personality.
Although we most often talk about free-spoken people, we can also talk about free-spoken voices and remarks, free-spoken publications, even a free-spoken age or tradition.
examples:
His grandma gets more free-spoken with each passing year. She fears no judgment; she tolerates no burnt biscuits.
In her free-spoken editorial, Alice Paul Tapper, age ten, says: "People say girls have to be 90 percent confident before we raise our hands, but boys just raise their hands. I tell girls that we should take the risk and try anyway, just like the boys do. If the answer is wrong, it’s not the end of the world."
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "free-spoken" means when you can explain it without saying "blunt" or "vocal."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "As free-spoken as ever, (someone) was the only one to point out _____."
Example: "As free-spoken as ever, Karen was the only one to point out that the hostess's kids were too rowdy."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "The Meanings of Maladies."
I'll share a tidbit about the word for a particular symptom, disease, or condition, and you try to name it. We'll start with common maladies and work our way toward the rare and strange.
From our previous issue: If you recognize the Greek roots in the name of this disease, you might be confused and think of vampires: it appears to mean "blood-loving." But it all makes sense when you think about how the Greek philia can mean not only "love" but also "a tendency to"--and this disease involves a tendency to bleed. What is it?
Answer: Hemophilia.
Try this today: The name for this disease comes from the Latin word for "rose-colored." What is it?
review today's word:
1. One opposite of FREE-SPOKEN is
A. INVENTIVE.
B. RETICENT.
C. ANXIOUS.
2. It's a free-spoken culture: we value _____.
A. tact
B. boldness
C. eloquence
Answers are below.
a final word:
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From Liesl's blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Answers to review questions:
1. B
2. B
Are you known for your ca__or: your habit of telling of the truth, matter-of-factly, without any fear of offending people? If so, you're free-spoken.
"FREE-SPOKEN" Free-spoken people speak freely, saying exactly what they think without hiding anything or worrying about how other people will react. Other forms:
His grandma gets more free-spoken with each passing year. She fears no judgment; she tolerates no burnt biscuits.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "free-spoken" means when you can explain it without saying "blunt" or "vocal."
Fill in the blanks: "As free-spoken as ever, (someone) was the only one to point out _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. One opposite of FREE-SPOKEN is
Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. |