spoken2 ●●○ adjectiveadj 1. spoken English/language etc SLthe form of language that you speak rather than write 英语口语/口语等 → written 2 the spoken word spoken language rather than written language or music 〔相对于书面语言或音乐而言的〕口头话语 pupils’ understanding of the spoken word 小学生对口头话语的理解
3 quietly/softly-spoken SPEAK A LANGUAGE British EnglishBrE speaking in a quiet way 说话轻轻的/柔和的 a softly-spoken young man 一个说话温柔的年轻人
4 be spoken for b) KEEP/STOREif something is spoken for, you cannot buy it because it is being kept for someone else 〔商品〕已预留给〔某人〕
→ well-spokenn THESAURUSspoken used about the language that people speak rather than writeSpoken English is often less formal than written English.
I can understand classical Arabic but not spoken Arabic.
oral an oral test is one in which you have to speak rather than write. Oral is also used about culture, traditions, and history that are based on spoken English rather than being written downWe had a 15-minute oral exam in German.
Anglo-Saxon stories and poems were part of a largely oral culture.
verbal a verbal agreement, warning, form of communication etc is spoken rather than written downWe had a verbal agreement but no written contract.
The company have received verbal approval to begin the project.
by/through word of mouth by someone telling you about something rather than by reading about it somewhere – used to say how you got some informationHe found out about the job by word of mouth.
A lot of our customers hear about us through word of mouth.