Speed (noun) is the rate at which something or someone moves, expressed as distance covered per unit of time. As a verb, to speed means to move very fast, or (especially in the phrasal verb speed up) to make something happen more quickly.
What Does Speed Mean?
Speed comes from Old English spēd, meaning prosperity, good fortune, or quickness, from Proto-Germanic *spōdiz. In medieval English the wish “God speed you” (meaning “may God make you prosper”) survives in the modern word Godspeed. By the 16th century the dominant sense had shifted to swift movement, which remains its core meaning today.
As a noun, speed is used in everyday contexts (reading speed, internet speed, wind speed) and in technical ones (shutter speed, gear speed). As a verb it is irregular: the past tense is sped for movement (the car sped away) but speeded is used in the fixed phrasal verb speeded up, though sped up is now equally acceptable.
A key distinction for learners: speed describes the rate of movement, while velocity (used in physics) adds direction. In general English use, speed is always the right choice.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & usage note |
|---|---|
| The train travels at a very high speed. | A2 — noun, basic collocation |
| She increased her reading speed by practising timed reading exercises each week. | B1 — noun, subject-given example |
| The ambulance sped through the streets to reach the hospital in time. | B1 — verb (past tense sped), movement sense |
| New technology has helped to speed up the process of approving loan applications. | B2 — phrasal verb, formal/professional context |
| The sheer speed with which misinformation spreads on social media poses a significant challenge for regulators. | C1 — noun, abstract academic register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| high speed | High-speed trains connect the two cities in under an hour. |
| top speed | The sports car can reach a top speed of 250 km/h. |
| full speed | The project is now running at full speed. |
| reading speed | Timed exercises are a proven way to improve reading speed. |
| internet speed | We upgraded our internet speed to cope with remote working. |
| wind speed | The forecast warned of wind speeds exceeding 80 km/h. |
| increase / reduce speed | Drivers must reduce speed in roadwork zones. |
| at speed | The vehicle was travelling at speed when it lost control. |
| speed up | Can you speed up the download by closing other apps? |
| with speed | She completed the task with impressive speed and accuracy. |
Usage Notes
How to Use Speed Correctly
- Noun — rate of movement: Use with adjectives (high, low, top, full, maximum) and measurement phrases: a speed of 60 mph, at high speed.
- Verb — irregular past tense: The verb to speed forms the past tense sped for literal movement: She sped past the window. For the phrasal verb, both sped up and speeded up are accepted in British English.
- Phrasal verb — speed up: This means to go faster (intransitive) or to make something faster (transitive): The music sped up gradually / We need to speed up the process.
- Compound adjective — high-speed: Hyphenate when used before a noun: a high-speed connection, high-speed rail. No hyphen after a verb: the connection is high speed.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The car speeded away at full speed. (speeded is not used for bare movement)
The car sped away at full speed. (use sped for movement, not speeded)
We need to speed the production. (missing the particle)
We need to speed up production. (always use speed up, not bare speed, with processes)
She drives with a high speed. (incorrect preposition)
She drives at high speed. (use at + speed, not with)