Meaning & use
speech balloon
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Meanings
nouncountable
A rounded shape drawn near a character in a comic or cartoon, containing the words that character says or thinks.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a speech balloon' or 'speech balloons'.
Patterns
- a speech balloon above someone
- draw a speech balloon
- in a speech balloon
The artist drew a large speech balloon above the hero's head.
Her words appeared in a speech balloon at the top of the page.
The speech balloon was empty, so readers had to imagine what he said.
nouncountable
A similar shape used in diagrams or signs to show that someone is speaking.
Grammar: Countable, often used in technical or instructional writing.
Patterns
- use a speech balloon
- add a speech balloon
The teacher added a speech balloon to the picture to show the character talking.
In the instruction manual, a speech balloon points to the person giving directions.
Word forms
| plural | speech balloons |
|---|
Common combinations
- draw a speech balloon
- He drew a speech balloon next to the smiling face.
- a speech balloon above someone
- There was a speech balloon above the baby in the cartoon.
- fill in a speech balloon
- The editor asked her to fill in the speech balloon with a funny line.
- an empty speech balloon
- An empty speech balloon can be a clever way to let readers guess.
Synonyms and how they differ
- speech bubble
- The usual everyday term; 'speech balloon' is a slightly more formal variant often used in art and design.
- balloon
- Short form used when the context is clear; it can also mean a party decoration, so it is less precise.
Word family
Commonly confused: speech balloon or speech bubble?
speech balloon vs speech bubble
They mean almost the same thing; 'speech bubble' is more common in everyday talk, while 'speech balloon' is often used in technical or artistic contexts.
Practice
In a comic strip, what do you call the rounded shape that holds a character's words?
Choose one answer.
A speech balloon contains spoken words. A thought bubble shows thoughts, a caption is text outside the drawing, and a sound effect shows noises like 'Bang!'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “speech balloon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.