Speak up means to talk louder or to say openly what you think instead of keeping quiet. The first meaning comes up in requests: Could you speak up, please? In the second, people use it when someone decides to raise a problem out loud or to defend someone: speak up for a colleague.
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speak up (= louder); speak up about + problem; speak up for + person/idea
- Sorry, could you speak up a bit? The music in this café is really loud.
- Nobody liked the new schedule, but only Anna spoke up at the meeting.
- Good friends speak up for you when you're not in the room.
What changed
First versionAt the meeting, I finally spoke up my opinion about the new schedule.
RevisionAt the meeting, I finally spoke up about the new schedule.
When you mean expressing your opinion, it's tempting to put opinion straight after the verb. But speak up doesn't take an object: the topic is introduced with about, and the person you defend with for. The extra my opinion was removed.
Speak out means to publicly oppose something in society: a law, a government decision, an injustice. She spoke out against the new law. Speak up is closer to everyday life: raising a problem at a meeting, in class or in your family. Speak out doesn't mean “talk louder”.
Your turn
I couldn't hear the lecturer from the back row, so I asked him to ___.
Show the answer
speak up — From the back row the lecturer can't be heard, so he's being asked to talk louder: speak up. Speak out means to publicly oppose something; it isn't used about how loud your voice is.
Describe a time you spoke up at a meeting, in class or in your family. Say what problem you raised and how it ended.
At a team meeting last month, I spoke up about our unpaid overtime, and in the end the manager agreed to give us extra days off.
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