Sentence vs Utterance
In linguistics, there are differences between the terms sentence and utterance. A sentence is a group of words that convey a meaning and can be found in both written and spoken language. An utterance, on the other hand, is a group of words or a part of speech between pauses and is usually confined to spoken language. This article will explore these differences and provide a comprehensive understanding of both terms.
What is a Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that conveys a complete meaning or thought. It typically contains at least a subject and verb, which highlights that a sentence conveys a complete meaning because it is a combination of words. Sentences can be simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex, and are made up of various phrases. To understand the difference between a sentence and an utterance, one must view the sentence as having at least a main clause, while an utterance does not always have a main clause. Sometimes an utterance can be just a few words, such as “not much” or “maybe,” which still convey a meaning, but not a complete one.
What is an Utterance?
An utterance can be understood as a unit of speech, defined as a part of speech between pauses and silence. This usually applies to spoken language and not for written language. This feature can be considered as a difference that exists between a sentence and an utterance. An utterance can be a single word, a group of words, a clause, or even a complete sentence. In spoken language, there are more pauses and silence, and the spoken words between two pauses are referred to as an utterance.
Key Takeaways
- A sentence is a group of words that convey a complete meaning and can be found in both written and spoken language.
- An utterance is a group of words or a part of speech between pauses, usually confined to spoken language.
- The difference between a sentence and utterance is that while a sentence conveys a complete meaning through a combination of clauses, an utterance conveys a meaning through a few words that may not even compile a clause.
