Suffix · forms adjectives
Describes someone's tone or style of speaking: soft-spoken (speaking gently) and outspoken (speaking one's mind bluntly).
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
-spoken forms compound adjectives that describe how a person speaks — not their accent or language, but the style, tone, and frankness of their communication. Soft-spoken, well-spoken, plain-spoken, outspoken — each compound captures a different relationship between a speaker and their words. These compounds are especially useful in character sketches and interviews, where describing someone's communication style concisely matters.
Adjective + spoken.
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
-spoken
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Soft-spoken" describes both the volume and the quality of speech. A soft-spoken person is not simply quiet — they are characteristically gentle, calm, and non-confrontational in how they communicate. The compound suggests a personality trait, not just a decibel level.
"Outspoken" is not inherently negative. It describes someone who expresses their opinions freely and openly, even when those opinions are controversial or unpopular. An outspoken person can be polite but still frank. The emphasis is on willingness to speak without self-censorship, not on hostility.
A trick to remember it
-spoken compounds are powerful for describing communication style with precision. "Soft-spoken" says more than "quiet." "Outspoken" says more than "direct." "Well-spoken" says more than "articulate." Each -spoken compound captures not just HOW someone speaks, but what that speaking style IMPLIES about their character. In interviews, profiles, and character descriptions, these compounds do a lot of work in very few words.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The outspoken activist refused to stay silent about the policy." What does "outspoken" tell us?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
The suffix -spoken describes someone's tone or style of speaking: soft-spoken (speaking gently) and outspoken (speaking one's mind bluntly). In Spanish it usually maps to de habla / que habla de manera.
"soft" becomes "soft-spoken". It is a typical example of the -spoken suffix.
Describes a direction, an ongoing activity, or a habit: easygoing (relaxed, easy to get along with) and outgoing (sociable, extroverted).
Describes someone's way of thinking: open-minded (accepting of new ideas) versus narrow-minded (closed off, intolerant).
Describes how quickly someone thinks: quick-witted (sharp, fast-thinking) versus dim-witted (slow, not very sharp).
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.