An utterance is something someone says out loud, anything from a single word to a complete sentence or even a longer speech. When your teacher asks a question and you respond with “yes” or “I think the answer is 42,” you've made an utterance. When a politician delivers a campaign speech, that entire speech counts as an utterance.

The word emphasizes the act of speaking itself rather than what's written down. A baby's first word is a memorable utterance for parents. An angry utterance might be a shout of frustration. A careless utterance could be something you blurt out without thinking.

Utterance appears often when people analyze speech or communication. A linguist studying how children learn language counts and categorizes their utterances. A diplomat might worry about an ill-considered utterance causing international problems. Unlike “statement,” which suggests something planned and official, utterance can describe any vocal expression, whether carefully prepared or completely spontaneous.

The verb form is utter, meaning to speak or make a sound: “She didn't utter a single word during the entire movie.” When something is described as utterly surprising or utterly ridiculous, though, that's a different word entirely, meaning “completely” or “totally.”