Expressive Verbs: Voice & Movement — B2 Essential Words

mumble /ˈmʌmbəl/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To speak quietly and unclearly, with the mouth almost closed, so that words are hard to understand.

Example: Stop mumbling and speak up.

Another example: He mumbled an apology.

Collocations: mumble to yourself · mumble an answer · mumble under

Synonyms: mutter, murmur (softer), slur

Antonyms: announce, project

Word family: mumbles (v) · mumble (n) · mumbler (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Teenagers are its world champions by parental vote. Teachers' countermeasure ('enunciate!') is its classroom fame.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its rap branch (mumble rap) turned the flaw into a genre name argued over by critics.

Register: Neutral — speech essential.

murmur /ˈmɜːrmər/ verb / noun B2 Communication

Meaning: To speak in a very soft, quiet voice that is hard to hear clearly; also the low continuous sound of a crowd, water, or wind.

Example: She murmured a few words.

Another example: A murmur ran through the crowd.

Collocations: murmur to · murmured softly · a murmur of

Synonyms: whisper, mumble, hum

Antonyms: shout

Word family: murmurs (n pl) · murmur (v) · murmuring (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Doctors borrowed it for heart sounds (a heart murmur). Streams and crowds make it without voices at all.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its softness is romance scenes' dialogue direction worldwide.

Register: Formal — speech depth.

stammer /ˈstæmər/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To speak with difficulty, repeating sounds or stopping suddenly, because of nervousness or a speech condition (a stammer/stutter).

Example: He stammered when nervous.

Another example: She stammered out the answer.

Collocations: stammer when · stammer out · a stammer

Synonyms: stutter, falter, trip over words

Antonyms: speak fluently

Word family: stammers (v) · stammer (n) · stammerer (n)

⚠ Common mistake: STUTTER is its near-twin (American usage favors stutter). A famous king's stammer became an Oscar-winning film (The King's Speech) — patience and practice are its heroes.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its sufferers ask for time, not finishing sentences — etiquette worth practicing.

Register: Neutral — speech essential.

drift /drɪft/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To move slowly and gradually without control or direction — boats on water, clouds, snow, thoughts, and people through life.

Example: The boat drifted down the river.

Another example: Her thoughts drifted to home.

Collocations: drift away · drift off (to sleep!) · drift down

Synonyms: float, wander, slide

Antonyms: steer, drive

Word family: drifts (v) · drift (n) · drifting (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: 'Drift off' falls asleep gently; 'drift apart' ends friendships slowly. Continents do it geologically (continental drift) at fingernail speed.

🗣 In spoken American English: Snow builds its sculptures (drifts) against every fence.

Register: Neutral — movement essential.

glide /ɡlaɪd/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To move smoothly, quietly, and effortlessly, without visible effort — swans on water, skaters on ice, planes descending.

Example: The swan glided across the lake.

Another example: Dancers glided over the floor.

Collocations: glide across · glide through · glide in

Synonyms: slide, float, sail

Antonyms: stumble, crash

Word family: glides (v) · glider (n) · gliding (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Its aircraft (gliders) fly with no engine — pure smoothness. Skaters and swans are its joint mascots.

🗣 In spoken American English: Escalator handrails promise it; elevators deliver it.

Register: Neutral — movement essential.

plunge /plʌndʒ/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To fall or jump suddenly and steeply downward; to push something quickly into liquid; prices and temperatures also plunge when they drop sharply.

Example: He plunged into the icy pool.

Another example: Stock prices plunged on the news.

Collocations: plunge into · plunge down · prices plunged

Synonyms: dive, drop, fall sharply

Antonyms: soar, rise

Word family: plunges (v) · plunge (n) · plunger (n — the sink tool!)

⚠ Common mistake: Its noun for bathrooms (the plunger) unclogs what its verb does to swimmers. Markets fear it; divers choreograph it.

🗣 In spoken American English: 'Take the plunge' means finally do the brave thing — idiom honors its jump.

Register: Neutral — movement essential.

tremble /ˈtrembəl/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To shake slightly and uncontrollably because of cold, fear, excitement, illness, or strong emotion; the ground and voices also tremble.

Example: Her hands trembled with cold.

Another example: His voice trembled as he spoke.

Collocations: tremble with · tremble at · hands trembling

Synonyms: shake, shiver (cold), quiver

Antonyms: steady

Word family: trembles (v) · trembling (adj) · tremor (n — medical)

⚠ Common mistake: Voices, hands, leaves, and earth all keep its tempo. Its medical noun (tremor) measures what this verb feels.

🗣 In spoken American English: Excitement and fear share it exactly — bodies don't label their weather.

Register: Neutral — body and feelings essential.

gasp /ɡɑːsp/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To breathe in suddenly through the mouth in surprise, shock, or pain; also to struggle for breath.

Example: The crowd gasped at the ending.

Another example: She gasped for air.

Collocations: gasp at · gasp in shock · gasp for breath

Synonyms: pant, wheeze, catch breath

Word family: gasps (v) · gasp (n) · gasping (adj)

⚠ Common mistake: Horror films conduct audiences with it. 'Last gasp' efforts are its idiom for final attempts.

🗣 In spoken American English: Its written form is pure reaction (the audience gasped) in a thousand novels.

Register: Neutral — reaction essential.

hum /hʌm/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To sing a tune with closed lips, without words; also to make a low continuous sound (machines hum), and to be full of activity (the office hummed).

Example: She hummed while she worked.

Another example: The fridge hums all night.

Collocations: hum a tune · hum along · the hum of

Synonyms: sing softly, buzz, murmur

Word family: hums (v) · hum (n) · humming (n)

⚠ Common mistake: Everyone's first instrument needs no lessons and no words. Its electrical twin (the mains hum) annoys guitarists at exactly 60 cycles in America.

🗣 In spoken American English: Hummingbirds are named for wings faster than this sound's source.

Register: Neutral — voice essential.

shrug /ʃrʌɡ/ verb B2 Communication

Meaning: To raise your shoulders slightly and drop them, to show that you do not know, do not care, or cannot help — the body's punctuation for 'who knows?'.

Example: He shrugged and said nothing.

Another example: 'Who ate it?' — she just shrugged.

Collocations: shrug your shoulders · shrug and say · a shrug

Synonyms: lift shoulders, gesture, sign

Word family: shrugs (v) · shrug (n)

⚠ Common mistake: The emoji generation drew it perfectly (the shrugging person). Its verbal twin is 'beats me' — both answer without answering.

🗣 In spoken American English: Whole cultures shrug at different speeds of meaning; Americans keep it honest and quick.

Register: Neutral — body language essential.