Spanish word

oral

Pronunciation

IPA/oˈɾal/

Meaning

  • adjectiveoral

Example

Tengo un examen oral mañana.

I have an oral exam tomorrow.

Illustration for oral (oral)

More examples

En el debate se evaluó la competencia oral de cada participante.

In the debate the oral competence of each participant was evaluated.

Core concept

Spoken words produced by the mouth.

Common phrases

  • competencia oral

    oral competence

  • expresión oral

    oral expression

  • comunicación oral

    oral communication

Similar words

verbal: Expressed in words, spoken or written, focusing on linguistic phrasing rather than gesture.
hablado: Produced by speaking; characteristic of everyday spoken language and conversation.

Definition in Spanish

Relativo a lo que se expresa por la voz o por la boca, usado para describir manifestaciones hechas verbalmente.

Word origin

Spanish oral derives from Latin oralis, from os 'mouth', originally meaning 'pertaining to the mouth' and later applied to speech produced by the voice.

Usage tips

  • Oral is common in formal phrases such as examen oral or presentación oral, while in casual speech speakers tend to use hablado or de palabra.

Opposites

Related words

  • oralmenteorallyadverb
  • oralidadoralitynoun

Word lists with this word