speed
Speed meaning: rapid motion or its rate; SPEED is a five-letter word worth 8 Scrabble points.
Noun 4 meanings
The state of moving quickly or the capacity for rapid motion.
“How does Usain Bolt run at that speed?”
The rate of motion or action, specifically the magnitude of the velocity; the rate distance is traversed in a given time.
“Speed limits provide information to the drivers about the safe speed to travel in average conditions.”
The sensitivity to light of film, plates or sensor.
The duration of exposure, the time during which a camera shutter is open (shutter speed).
Interjection 1 meaning
Called by the soundman when the recording equipment has reached running speed and is ready to go.
Verb 4 meanings
To go fast.
“The Ferrari was speeding along the road.”
To exceed the speed limit.
“Why do you speed when the road is so icy?”
To increase the rate at which something occurs.
To cause to make haste; to dispatch with celerity; to drive at full speed; hence, to hasten; to hurry.
Etymology
From Middle English sped (“prosperity, good luck, quickness, success”), from Old English spēd (“success”), from Proto-West Germanic *spōdi (“prosperity, success”), from Proto-West Germanic *spōan, from Proto-Germanic *spōaną (“to prosper, succeed, be happy”), from Proto-Indo-European *speh₁- (“to prosper, turn out well”).
Similar and opposite words
Speed describes quick movement, but it also names the rate at which an action happens. In photography, the word refers to film or sensor sensitivity and to how long a shutter stays open. That range makes SPEED more than a motion word: context tells you whether it means pace, sensitivity, or exposure time.
SPEED at a glance
- SPEED has five letters and scores 8 Scrabble points.
- Each E and S is worth 1 point; P is the premium tile at 3.
- The letters rearrange into two anagrams: DEEPS and PEDES.
- SPEED is both a Wordle answer and an allowed guess.
- Twelve one-letter neighbors include SPEND, SPIED, and STEED.
Speed meaning in everyday use
In ordinary speech, speed is either the state of moving quickly or the rate of movement. A car’s speed describes how fast it travels; the speed of a task can describe how quickly the work gets done. The word also has a distinct photography sense: sensitivity to light or shutter exposure time.
SPEED earns 8 Scrabble points before any board bonuses. The tile values add up as S 1, P 3, E 1, E 1, and D 2, so P supplies the biggest share of the base score. A premium letter square under P raises the total; a word multiplier applies after the tile values are added.
Speed meaning, Wordle and letter changes
SPEED is accepted as a Wordle answer and as an allowed guess. Its repeated E matters when you interpret the color clues: a yellow or green E does not by itself tell you whether the other E is present. Track each copy separately rather than assuming the word contains only one.
DEEPS and PEDES use the same letters in different orders, but they are less familiar choices than SPEED in everyday play. Changing one letter gives twelve neighbors, including the recognizable SPEND, SPIED, and STEED. Many of the remaining neighbors are obscure, so treat the full set as a word-game resource rather than a list of ordinary vocabulary.
Rhymes with speed
All rhymesOne letter away
- SPEND8
- SPIED8
- STEED6
- SPEER7
- SNEED6
- SPRED8
- SPEEL7
- SWEED9
- SKEED10
- SPAED8
- SPELD8
- SPUED8
Questions people ask
Is SPEED accepted in Scrabble?
Has SPEED been a Wordle answer?
What words can you make from the letters in SPEED?
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